


Shadow Protects. You Just Don't Know How

by HanzTuah (WeMustDefeatDeHanz), WeMustDefeatDeHanz



Category: BoBoiBoy (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-21
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2020-10-25 08:48:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20721446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WeMustDefeatDeHanz/pseuds/HanzTuah, https://archiveofourown.org/users/WeMustDefeatDeHanz/pseuds/WeMustDefeatDeHanz
Summary: She never believed that monster lurks in the shadows. For her, monsters are everywhere. In your heart, mingling amongst the living, locked up in dungeons far away from civilization, haunting the years of one's lives.And her? She didn't see her monsters until an angel dropped into her dreams and saved her from the nightmare she's living in."Jangan nangis, eh? Nanti abang datang jemput kau." ("Please don't cry, eh? I'll come and pick you up.") She's sick of blatant lies spat onto young souls.If no one is going to protect him, damn the shadows shrouding him. Damn the consequences. Damn everything.She'll protect him.





	1. Waking Up From A Dream

**Author's Note:**

> Yo. Those who'd seen this shit in Bahasa before better strap in. I changed it all now.
> 
> Okayyyy maybe only partially in Bahasa, but I can't help it. The struggle of a trilingual writer not able to write a decent story in her own mother tongue... That sucks shitty throat lozenges.
> 
> And wait until I mananged to reach a computer for the tags. Phone updates don't let me do that.
> 
> What else... Ah. I have Discord? And Twitter? Tumblr too? But you need to ask me to put it in the notes or I won't. Cuz privacy and all that shit. I may suck at Bahasa but I respect people's privacy.
> 
> But my Twitter is a personal acc, and my sisters followed me there. Wait a bit until I make a new acc. It's too dangerous.
> 
> That's all, I guess... Enjoy?

Sometimes, when _ she _ went to sleep, those images came into her mind.

_ She _ never thought much of it, probably some malfunctions in the algorithms of her dress. It will be troublesome to have them fixed, which requires her wearing something else in its place. Which the girl despises.

Maybe _ she _ will let it go. It entertain her sometimes. The images.

Of lush, green meadow out in the open. Sapphire blue skies, glittering with stars light years away from her grasp. A bright smile from a young soul, burdened with grief, a child forced to grow up too fast. The last image always made her cry.

_ She _ wanted nothing more than to hug the boy and make his grief, make all his longing, his fears, _ she _ wanted to make it all go away. The people wearing masks sounded distraught when _ she _ retells the flashes of images to them.

One day, one of them came and warned her. “Aku rasa, lebih baik kau simpan je mimpi kau tu, Lydeia. Jangan bagitau Kapten, tau.” ("**This is my opinion, but I think it's better if you kept your dreams to yourself, Lydeia. Never share them to anyone, not even the captain.**")

“Mengapa?” ("**Why?**") Kaur never seems to have any vendetta against her. Why would he start now?

The masked man seems even more troubled. “Kau tak perlu tau. Cuma janji dengan aku, jangan bagitau sesiapa tentang mimpi kau. Aku akan ada kat sini kalau kau nak borak dengan aku pasal mimpi kau. Tapi kau cerita kat aku je. Boleh?” ("**That's none of your concern. Just promise me, never tell anyone about your dreams. I'll be there if you want someone to share them with. Deal?**")

The girl nods, confusion still not abated but thrilled to have a constant companion to share her stories.

It irks her, sometimes, when _ she _ woke up and it’s been a week after _ she _ last opens her eyes. Also when her demand to have a health check-up was flatly denied by Kaur.

“Aku perlu tahu apa yang mengganggu kesihatanku, Kaur. Beradu dalam durasi tempoh yang lama, itu tak normal!” ("**I need to know what's disturbing my health conditions. Dozing off to long periods, that is not normal!**")

Kaur didn’t even face her. “Makan aku bagi cukup. Selagi kau tak muntah darah, tak perlu jumpa aku untuk dapatkan doktor. Bukan senang nak jumpa pakar kesihatan masa tengah berlayar.” ("**I have fed you well. As long as you're not puking blood, there's no need for a check up. It's not easy having to stop for an appointment just to have a health check up.**")

“Jikalau begitu,” ("**If that's the matter,**") she pursed her lips, frowning at the captain of the ship, “mendaratlah sebentar di mana-mana planet. Aku cuma ingin mendapatkan analisa tentang kesihatanku. Kaur, tolonglah.” ("**,drop an anchor on a planet somewhere. I just need an analysis of my current health. Kaur, please.**")

They didn’t speak of it again. The girl sleeps. For a really long time.

<strike> _She never thought to check the days. The girl blindly trusts, and became blind she did._ </strike>

The images _ she _ saw now has turned bleak and monochrome. Then it turned dark and bloody and grotesque that _ she _wept in her sleep.

The boy. He always went to sleep shrouded in shadows. The image was so painfully familiar her heart hurts. Where was the light in his life? Why is he all alone? Where is his family?

<strike>Why is he suffering so much for such a small child?</strike>

_ She _ knew the last time _ she _ had woken up was quite a long time ago. But the thought of leaving the boy alone (even if he was only an image, a fraction from her fraying sanity meant to be a consolation) didn't even cross her mind. The only thing she wished for is for him to be happy.

_ 'Kamu seharusnya hidup bahagia di samping keluargamu, sayang. Maafkan aku kerana tidak dapat membantumu. Maafkan kakak, sayang.' _(_'You are supposed to be living happily by your family's side, dear. I am sorry that my weakness prevails me from helping you. I'm so sorry, dear._)

And when she opened her eyes, to a pair of familiar dark irises staring down at her in worry behind thick-framed glasses and unkempt bangs, _ she _ knew.

That _ she _ will do whatever it takes to make him happy.

~

_ Mana dia? Mana adik aku?! Tolonglah… Tolonglah jangan ambil dia dari aku. _(_Where is he? Where's my baby brother?! Please... Please don't take him away from me._)

Kaizo sidestepped the space pirate pouncing at him and kicked him away, parrying sets of attacks from another man. He blasted them away with a burst from Enerbot and frantically scanned the battleground, scattered with shards of armory and unconscious men.

_ Fang je apa yang aku ada. _(_Fang's the only one I have left._)

Three men ganged up on him, taunting the young man for biting off more than he could chew. Kaizo blasted them all away without a second thought, and promptly abandon his current mission.

He will find Fang even if it kills him.

'Anak kecil tak sepatutnya berada di tengah-tengah medan pertarungan', ('Battlefields are not a place for a child,') Laksamana Maskmana once had told him. The eldest brother then had accepted that his childhood days are over, and vigorously trained with the admiral to help him master the Enerbot his family had been keeping since forever.

One problem arises when he started going on missions. Fang didn't want to be separated from him.

It's kind of cute, if you ask the others. Here is this kid, barely out of primary school, toddling away to do missions among TAPOPS soldiers with ranks at least in the captains with his five-years-old brother in one hand, the Energy Sword in the other hand. But he gets the job done, and his brother didn’t disrupt missions.

_ Fangfangfangfangfangfangfang _ played in his head on repeat while he took down pirates on his mad dash to escape the arena. Captain Tarung was locked in battle with the pirate’s captain, Pirate GemKaur, and he sees the favor tilting over to their side. The pirates’ weapons are weakening.

When he kicked Captain Tarung away, and bellowed for all his crew to hear, “CARI LYDEIA DAN SUMBAT DIA MASUK DALAM POD DIA! AKU TAK KISAH KALAU KAU KENA CEDERAKAN DIA, PASTIKAN DIA MASUK DALAM TU!” ("**FIND LYDEIA AND SHOVE HER BACK INSIDE HER POD! I DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE GONNA HURT HER, MAKE SURE SHE GOT INSIDE!**")

The whole crew froze, TAPOPS fighters and the pirate’s crew all the same, when someone bellowed back, “KAU DAH MELAMPAU, GEMKAUR!” ("**YOU'VE CROSSED THE LINE, GEMKAUR!**")

Everyone turned and stared at the pirate. His mask was an odd one, red with halves portraying comedy and tragedy faces. Both of his hands are occupied with swords, and his are not wide and heavy-duty looking like the other pirates was. Thin and lightweight, he holds them at his eye level and took a stance.

“KAU DAH MENYEKSA DIA SELAMA SEPULUH TAHUN! DAN KALINI, AKU TAKKAN BIARKAN KAU LAKUKAN SESUKA HATI KAU LAGI!” ("**YOU HAVE TORTURED HER FOR A DECADE! AND THIS TIME, I WON'T LET YOU TOUCH EVEN A STRAND KF HAIR ON HER HEAD!**") And just like that, the table has been flipped and the battle favored them.

The pirate crew started attacking each other. Although the rebels were greatly outnumbered by the remaining that stays loyal to GemKaur, but their numbers were a huge help to the space rangers. And numbers didn’t mean a thing when your attacks are sloppy and uncoordinated.

The rebels… they fought like they had training from years prior. Fluidly changing from sword to throwing knives and bows and arrows, stepping into heated fights without getting hit from any sides, backing the TAPOPS fighters up without breaking their concentration.

Kaizo found himself back-to-back with the leader of the rebel (or is he?). A ring of pirates surrounds him.

“Kau bodoh kalau kau ingat kau boleh terlepas dari ni, BB!” ("**You're a fool if you think you can escape this, BB!**") One of them shouted. Kaizo stored his name at the back of his mind.

It's a bit weird for a guy to have his name as BB, but he's not going to judge.

BB simply tilted his head at the pirate. “Aku kesian dengan orang macam korang ni. Dah hilang hati perut. Tak layak dipanggil manusia.” ("**I pity you lot. Finally losing your humanity. Not befitting of being called human anymore.**")

Kaizo could see the crowd reacting at the bait and preparing for their attacks, when a shriek echoed through the whole battlefield.

“ABANG! TOLONG KAKAK NI, ABANG!” ("**KAIZO****! PLEASE HELP HER, PLEASE!**")

He didn’t realise he had broken through the pirate-human chain when Kaizo find himself staring at his little brother twenty feet away from him, kneeled in front of a figure crumpled on the ground.

Tension bleeds away from his shoulders when he saw that Fang was unharmed. But his blood ran cold when he saw GemKaur advancing towards Fang. He propped his sword up, and popped up next to Fang and the girl with iridescent hair.

“Fang, kau kena lari. Balik ke kapal. Abang akan tolong kakak ni. Cepat pergi!” ("**Fang, you have to run away. Back to the ship. I'll help this girl. Now go!**")

“Taknak! Kakak Lydia cakap dia takkan tinggalkan Fang dah!” ("**No! Lydia says she won't leave me anymore!**") His small hand cradled the girl’s hand, exposing blackened veins disappearing under her thin shawl. _ Jadi inilah Lydeia, _(_So this is Lydeia,_) Kaizo turned back to the pirate captain and stood in front of the two.

“BB!” He shouted, parrying another pirate and blasting them away. The rebel leader was quick to appear next to him.

“Apa kau nak?” ("**What do you want?**") He looked down and saw Fang staring up at him, ebony irises glittering with tears. Gripping onto the reason he’s rebelling over GemKaur. “Oh. _ Oh. _”

Kaizo could only nod. Fang has that effect on people. “Bawa mereka pergi dari sini. Dengan kelajuan kau, GemKaur takkan dapat tangkap kau. Aku akan cari korang semula bila pertarungan ni dah berakhir.” ("**Take them away. GemKaur won't be able to catch you with your speed. I'll find you guys after the battle is over.**")

BB tilted his head at him, the tragedy side of his mask at the upside while the comedy saunters down. He threw three knives at an advancing pirate and sheathed his sword. Picking up the girl and Fang with a slight grunt, he turned and stared at his ex-employee.

“Dia dah ambil segalanya dari aku. Aku takkan benarkan dia ambil Lydeia dari aku, dan adik kau dari kau. Pastikan kau hidup sebelum kau cari aku dan adik kau, Lans Koperal Kaizo.” ("**He's robbed me of my everything. I'm not letting him have Lydeia. Hold onto your life before you find us, Lance Corporal Kaizo.**")

Fang waved at him on top of BB’s shoulder, before the ex-pirate took off. Kaizo turned to face GemKaur, only to be blasted off his feet. Blood spurted out of his cracked armor and Kaizo coughed into his fist.

They came away soaked with his blood.

Kaizo watches through the blood soaking his visor. GemKaur plucking his little brother off BB's back. The ex-pirate going head-to-head with the pirate, only to lose. Fang's eyes shrouded with fear as he glanced at him, mouth open in a shout his ringing ears couldn't decipher.

He failed his parents. He couldn't protect Fang.

The fog in his head halted, scattered images floating in midair. Then it picked up speed. _ Laju lagi. _(_Faster._) Enerbot crackles to life on his skin.

_ Kuat lagi. _(_Stronger._) Electric sparks off his broken armor. Some hit the pirates and TAPOPS fighters. Both sides were thrown back from the force.

_ Lindungi dia. _(_Protect._) GemKaur has his back turned to the bleeding young man. Deeming his life was now fading away, not of importance anymore. That was his first mistake in the list.

He won't have the chance for a second one.

_ Kau kena lindungi Fang. _(_You have to protect._) He didn't register Enerbot drying his energy to power his attacks. He didn't feel the slashes on his limbs deepening, didn't hear Captain Tarung yelling at him to stop. Stop hurting himself. Cease his attacks. Didn't hear. Didn't see anything.

_ Kau dah sakiti Fang. Aku takkan maafkan kau. _(_You have hurt Fang. I won't ever forgive you._)

~

Glowing iridescent eyes fluttered open at the bizarre shift of energy in the air. Lydeia looked up from the floor, to a ball of compressed energy that screamed anger. The energy hurts her.

So she did what she always does when an energy source makes her uncomfortable.

She raised a finger, pointed at the heart of the energy, and shouted, "TUTUP!" ("**CLOSE!**")

The energy responds to her command, and slithered back into a ball-like robot- Is that… Enerbot? She hasn't seen her since the attack! What is she doing here, she didn't know Kaur has power spheres on his ship-

"LYDEIA!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit 11/2 : Added Bahasa translations. I hab international fwens! Woot woot!


	2. Five Months After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fang: *looks a him more than five seconds*
> 
> Tarung: Budak ni anak aku sekarang. Syuh, Kaizo, syuh. Pergi main jejauh sana. (**This child is mine now. Piss off, Kaizo. Go play somewhere else.<\strong>)**
> 
> **Kaizo: *wiping his Pedang Tenaga* I beg your _fucking_ pardon?**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me being dumbass on main ticked this off as a oneshot. Surprise, it's not. I have loads of fluff on the way, but we need to visualise the whole new wooooooorrrllllddddd~~~~~~ first.
> 
> Enjoy this while I sort my life out.

"Fang, kau dah hantar fail misi Planet KokoNat ke bilik mesyuarat?" ("**Fang, have you delivered the mission file on KokoNat Planet to the meeting room?**")

"D-Dah, Kapten!" ("**I-It's done, Captain!**") He tries to stood up straighter.

Captain Tarung hid a smile behind the clipboard in his hand. Cute. "Itu je. Maaf sebab terpaksa minta tolong kau. Kau dah sarapan? Baik kau pergi cepat, sebelum pekerja kemas semua makanan.” ("**That's all. I'm sorry for troubling you. Have you had your breakfast? Hurry up now, or the cafeteria will stop serving them.**")

The captain detects a faint blush on the young boy’s cheeks, and promptly holds himself from ruffling the boy’s eternal bed hair. Be professional, dammit!

“S-Saya dah… makan… pagi tadi…” ("**I... have eaten... this m-morning...**") Tarung hums at his answer, barely heard over the shuffling of tired feet and papers pushed over each other on desks.

“Sekali lagi, aku nak minta maaf dekat kau sebab terpaksa panggil kau untuk hantarkan fail misi untuk aku.” ("**Once again, I am sorry for calling you here just to send these mission files.**") He’s violating laws just by letting the boy touch the file, but he seriously have no fucks to give. “TAPOPS dah kekurangan kakitangan selepas insiden tu lima bulan lepas." ("**TAPOPS is having a huge worker insufficiency after that incident five months ago.**")

"Boleh saya pergi sekarang?" ("**Can I leave now?**") Tarung's smile fades, but he let the boy go. Careening off from unsuspecting crew and evading legs to return to his chamber. The captain sighed and continued reviewing the mission report.

Another mission accomplished for Kaizo, it seems.

Tarung has mixed feelings for the blessed teenager's piling achievements. He's quick on his feet and learns fast from Laksamana Maskmana, twisting what he's learnt to develop his own fighting style (that's why Tarung liked him. Kid's got style). On the other hand, he's neglecting his little brother. He might not have any experience growing up in a normal family (oopsie-doopsie, a can of worms for another bloopsie) but the captain knew toddlers around Fang's age need constant affection. Or they will grew up destructive.

With their bloodline, that could be dangerous.

Another hour in the office, the door hissed open. "Kapten Tarung, Laksamana Kokoci tengah menunggu balasan e-mel kapten untuk misi seterusnya." ("**Captain Tarung, Admiral Koko Ci is waiting for your reply e-mail for the next mission.**")

"E-mel… yang mana ni?" ("**... Which e-mail again?**")

The female alien hit her forehead against the tablet in her hands. The captain sheepishly grinned behind the clutter of reports on his desk.

"Saya memang tak boleh tinggal kapten sehari pon, kan?" ("**I can't even leave you alone for a day, can I?**") Shooing him out of his desk, she began to tidy up the rat's nest of a desk while the other occupants in the office promptly ignores their captain being chewed out by his secretary.

“Ini meja bersepah- Kapten, apa guna ada paper tray kalau kapten tak guna? Tengok ni, saya dah buat label warna terang-terang untuk kapten nampak, dan masukkan dalam tray ni. Kalau meja kapten bersepah, nanti susah nak cari- Ni dah kenapa ada tray dari kafeteria dekat sini? Kapten dah berapa kali pekerja kafeteria mengadu dekat saya tray dia selalu tak cukup, rupanya kapten simpan dalam ofis buat trofi? Nasib baik takde sisa makanan dekat tray tu, tapi bersepahnya meja kapten ni- Macam mana kapten boleh hidup macam ni.”

[A/N: A long rant, so I'mma make a new paragraph just cos.]

("**Your desk is so untidy- Captain, paper trays exists for a reason. I even chose vibrant colors so you can differentiate all of them, and separate each paperworks and release slips to their respective areas. It'll be hard for you to do your work if your desk is like- Why. Is there. The cafeteria's food tray on your desk?! The workers had been ranting on about their trays going MIA, and now I've finally caught the culprit. What're you doing with this? Keeping it as a trophy? Captain, what is the name of MechaBot are you keeping a food tray in your office? Thank Amato it's clean, or I'll- but the state of your desk- how do you even live in this mess, captain?**")

"Kalau saya takde nak ingatkan kapten untuk balas e-mel laksamana tadi, mesti minggu depan baru kapten sedar kan? Itupun kalau ada yang berani tunjukkan dekat kapten." ("**How are you going to function without me, captain? These kids wouldn't even remind you about the e-mail, until I arrive at the scene. They're too scared of you.**") Her dark eyes glared at the other residents of the office. They could only hang their heads in shame. "Kapten kena berhenti cederakan diri sendiri semasa misi. Semakin bertambah parut kat badan kapten, semakin takut budak-budak ni nak tegur kapten." ("**You need to stop injuring yourself during missions. Your crew's fear and your multitudes of scars are proportionately linear, the more it adds up, the more scared they will be of you.**")

"Bukan salah aku lanun-lanun tu hebat dalam bertarung-" ("**It's not my fault those pirates are skilled in battles-**") He shut his cakehole with a flat look from her.

"Macam ni- aku…" ("**Look- I...**") The captain's hands were tied. His secretary's eyes were drilling him into the ground. His division is waiting with bated breath.

"Aku… sebenarnya…" ("**Actually...**") Beads of perspiration has accumulated on the base of his neck. Moving a limb out to wipe them away will reveal his weakness. One that he knows his secretary will exploit. She's an evil being like that.

The captain finally breaks. "Baiklah! Kalini aku tak pergi misi ni. Kalini je!" ("**Alright! I will sit out on this mission. This one!**") Cheers erupted from the office and he was chauffeured into another room.

"Kapten rasalah kek ni! Saya buat!" ("**Captain, have a bite! I made this cake myself!**")

"Nah kapten! Saya ada jahitkan selimut untuk kapten." ("**Here, captain! I made a quilt for you.**")

"Abah saya hantar jeruk kentang dari kampung. Ada lebih sikit-sikit ni lepas saya kongsi satu dorm, kapten ambiklah!" ("**My father posted this potato pickles from my planet. You can have some, captain!**")

The stuff in his hand reached the ceilings when Tarung was finally released from his division's smothering. His secretary nodded at a runner to help their captain with the stuff. Tarung pointed a finger at his aloof secretary.

"Kau memang tengah tunggu aku cakap aku nak ambil hari cuti, kan?" ("**You sly alien, you were waiting for me to announce that, aren't you?**")

She shrugged. "Kami semua risaukan kapten. Ini je caranya untuk kapten rehatkan diri sebelum kapten pengsan sebab overwork. Dan kalau si Kapten Tarung yang famous dengan teknik pertarungannya yang tiada bandingan di serata galaksi pun boleh cedera," ("**We are all worried about you, captain. This is the only way to get you some rest before you run yourself over. And if the legendary Captain Tarung with the fighting skills unparalled to no other gets injured mid battle,**") Tarung scratched his perfectly not-itchy scalp, trying to mine gold on the ground with the power of his eyes alone, "mungkin kena ada orang sedarkan dia yang dia kena servis dia punya sut Tarung." ("**maybe someone needs to remind him of his Tarun****g suit check ups.**")

Tarung smiled, this time he has no report in his hand to hide behind it. "Apelah akan jadi dekat aku kalau kau takde, Mega." ("**Seriously, what would I do without you, Mega.**")

The female alien, now that author is not dicking around throwing words just to extend the word count and we knew her name is Mega, shrugged. "Kapten akan teruskan bertarung sampai kapten terlantar atas katil di hospital. Itu je." ("**You'll fight yourself into a med bay cot. That's all.**")

She locked the screen of her tablet and nodded at the door. "Jomlah. Bawak sut kapten. Kita jumpa Bolt." ("**Let's go. Bring along your suit. We find Bolt.**")

Tarung grabbed his briefcase before jogging after her retreating form. "Bukan dia pergi pertunjukan di sekolah Nut ke? Dia bersusah payah mohon cuti untuk harini." ("**Doesn't he have a leave today? Nut's school has a programme today, right?**")

"Ramai yang minta naik taraf untuk senjata diorang, jadi kita buat tempahan dulu. Bolt akan balik esok, dengan cerita pasal adik dia yang dia tak boleh nak move on." ("**The list for weapon upgrades is quite long, so we need to make reservations. Bolt will return tomorrow, with anecdotes of his dear brother.**") Mega rolled her eyes as they descended to the tinkering floor.

"Bila kau ada keluarga, macam tulah Mega. Lagi-lagi yang ada brother complex macam Bolt tu. Kau tak tahu kisah laksamana-laksamana ni bersusah payah nak pujuk dia masuk TAPOPS. Nasib baik si Nut tu matang untuk budak pada umur dia, boleh lah pujuk abang dia yang susah nak berpisah bantal busuk tu." ("**That's just how families work, Mega. Especially those with brother complex like Bolt. It's a pain for the admirals to coax him into joining TAPOPS, his skills in mechanics is uncanny! We're lucky Nut is quite mature for his age, and helped to talk his brother into agreeing for the job.**")

"Rakaman berjaya disimpan. Selamat datang, Kapten Tarung, Leftenan Mega." ("**Recording successfully archived. Welcome, Captain Tarung, Lieutenant Mega.**") If Tarung fell on his back when the AI greeted them at the door, the only witness available were the cameras on the floor and Mega. Well, she might share it with her bunkmates and during their girls' nights, but that's strictly up to her.

"Saya okay je kalau dia tak bercerita pasal Nut masa kita nak ambil senjata kita semula. Orang nak cepat, dia ajak berborak." ("**I am perfectly fine if he didn't start spouting random stories of Nut's development while we're picking up our weapons. Yet he's dragging tge time, while we're in a hurry.**") Her fingers fly over the screen, before she held it out to her captain. "Nok ngeteh? Bereh. Teh tarik kasi segelas, biskut mayat kek. Nok ngunyoh jugok mase borok. Dok sonok ah borok kosong tadok mende nok ngunyoh. Ni dok, dia gi tahan orang nok buat keje macam dia tu-" ("**Wanna gossip? Be mah guest. Gimme sum of them ale, crackas to munch on. It ain't fun when you have none. Stoppin' us wit nuthin' in hand-**")

"Mega… Kawal loghat tu." ("**Mega... the accents.**") Tarung snorted when Mega's already red skin from her species flared vermillion from her slip up. Tucking a strand of white hair behind her ear, the lieutenant nodded at the tablet.

"Isilah borang tu. Lepasni kapten kena balas e-mel dari Laksamana Kokoci. Laporan misi audit Planet Gurlatan pun kapten belum tulis lagi." ("**Fill up the form. The e-mail for Admiral Koko Ci is next. The audit mission on Planet Gurlatan needs to be started right away, too.**") His fingers hovered over the screen of the tablet.

Mega coolly looked at him. "Itu kerja kapten, bila kapten tak pergi misi. Nak rijek misi kan? Buat kertas kerja lah jawabnya." ("**All that paperwork now falls onto your shoulder, captain. You're sitting this one out, right? Well, it's paperwork then.**")

He's been swindled. This is a scam. The alien patted him on his shoulder, standing on her tippy toes.

"Kuatkan semangat, kapten." ("**Have strength, captain.**")

A small scuffle behind the door made them turn to it. Fang was bowing repeatedly at a couple of cadets holding several cases files, frowning down at him. When one of them reached down at the boy, Tarung found himself planted next to him. Wearing a feral grin he reserved only on the battlefield.

He knew these faces. Problematic counterparts of the station, a few more strikes on their records and they'll be off to boot.

"Ada masalah ke kat sini?" ("**Is there any problem here?**") The troublemakers were gone faster than a blink.

"Kau okay Fang?" ("**You good, Fang?**") The boy was shaking all over. His fingers trembled when he reached up to tug at his overgrown bangs and righted his spectacles. Mega watches the scene unfolds from afar, eyes devoid of emotion.

"S-Saya okay je, kapten. Terima kasih, saya pergi dulu." ("**I- I'm perfectly fine, captain. If you would excuse me.**") Fang zipped away from the door faster than Tarung could call him out, and he sighed. The boy has been like that since that incident five months ago, and the captain knew he's blaming himself for his brother's injuries.

They're going to have to solve it all by themselves, it seems.

"Adik Lans Koperal muda tu?" ("**The young Lance Corp's brother?**") Mega asks from behind him. She accepts her tablet and keyed in his identification. Tarung took a seat on Bolt's empty chair.

"Ya. Aku tak faham betul lah orang muda zaman sekarang ni. Semua nak sorok. Kongsi jelah masalah korang." ("**Yep. I can't understand youngster nowadays. Why do you havta hide everything? Just share your problems!**")

(This is a friendly PSA that the author is promoting #LoveYourSelf. Problems are burdens that can be shared to lessen the pain, but choose your listening ears carefully. Some can turn around and stab you in your back. But don't hurt others in your journey of loving yourself.)

"Tak semua orang boleh percayakan orang lain macam tu je, kapten. Kalau diorang nak kongsi, diorang akan kongsi. Kita sebagai orang luar," ("**Trusting someone isn't easy for some people, captain. Let them be, when the time comes, we will know. We're just outsiders,**") Mega nodded when the form has been sent to Bolt's email, "boleh menunggu je. Dan saya tahu kapten seorang yang tak boleh nak bersabar, jadi mari kita buat laporan." ("**all we can do is wait. And to pass the time, why don't we start on your reports?**")

Tarung's arguments died on his tongue, and he sulkily followed after his suddenly way too cheery secretary back to his office.

~

The shadow looms over his shoulder like a dark cloud. Dark. Engulfing the small boy in its oily arms, a vice that releases at never. A haunting presence.

A curse.

Why? Why is he hurts more than ever? What breaks his heart?

Why is she so tired?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit 11/2 : Added Eng trans. One more to go!


	3. Kenapa Lain?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A wee bit perspective from both our protagonists.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FANGSTFANGSTFANGSTFANGSTFANGSTFANGSTFANGST

_ Mak kata aku anak yang baik. _

_ Aku tak kacau abang bila dia penat lepas balik sekolah. _

_ Makcik Ten jiran sebelah rumah pon selalu puji aku sebab selalu tolong dia. _

_ Aku budak baik. Aku suka tolong orang. Orang pon suka tolong aku. _

_ Tapi… kenapa tempat ni lain _?

For the first six month living at the station, Fang found the transition of his current life throwing him off track. Yes, the station is always abuzz with new faces, new weapons, new space ships. But it's not something to be gawked at. Fang knew what it's like to be a space explorer. He wanted to be one himself.

And when he asks where are they going, on a spaceship away from their own planet, his brother had explained to him. In his weird, twisting his mind way.

"Satu tempat yang selamat. Abang akan berlatih untuk menjadi seorang pegawai TAPOPS. Dan abang akan pastikan," he was hugged, quite tightly that it hurts just to breathe for a second, "takde siapa akan bahayakan nyawa kau lagi."

He wiggled in his brother's embrace until they could stare eye to eye. Kaizo's red irises reminds him of their mother. "Mak dengan ayah macam mana? Diorang tak ikut ke?"

It took Kaizo a while to come out with an answer. "Diorang nak, aku jagakan kau. Buat masa ni. Diorang ada urusan kat planet lain."

He nods, and snuggled into his brother's collarbone to drift off. Unaware of the tears filling Kaizo's eyes, not spilling even one.

He's the brother. He needs to be there for him. Fang is just a child. He need not know the horrors of war. Of lost. Let him be carefree.

They never went out of each other's sight after that.

~

One day, Kaizo left for a mission without his brother for the first time.

And Fang's hell starts.

~

If there is one thing that Fang loves his mom compliments him, it's his eyes. Dark iris is a good omen in their culture. A rare gene among his people. She would kiss his eyelids and smiled as he giggled and laughed in her arms.

He once asked why everyone seems to like his eyes.

'Maknanya mata kamu istimewa, sayang,' she would say, while combing his hair with her fingers. He cried a river when the doctor prescribed him spectacles after he complained of his vision being blurry.

'Takpe. Abang akan belasah siapa yang ejek kau. Okay?' He took his brother's pinky finger with his own, smiling wobbly through the onslaught of tears.

It remains a memory now. Fang knew not to bug his brother after he returned from missions with duration extending more than a week. He will have this dark look on his face, which specially means he's too tired to control his expression. Sometimes, Fang even helped him out of his armor before Kaizo knocked himself out. The shaky head pats was worth it.

"Kau… memang adik… yang baik…" That made him all the more eager to help his brother. He picked up meals from the cafeteria for his brother, and aided some other cadets asking for little tasks to complete. He even helped the little weird mechanic on the tinkering floor with his inventions!

But… some of the staff there seems to hold a grudge against his brother. And Fang, being his only blood relative, receives the end of it.

He knew his brother is advancing quickly up the rankings, even for a novice. It's a given, he thinks. Kaizo is always an excellent fighter. Even amongst their parent's front-line admirals back at home. They were taught how to fight at the early age of three, and Kaizo was putting soldiers where they belonged left and right at the age of ten years old.

He's too young to understand the responsibilities of bearing Planet Gogobugi's Enerbot protector title. Now that the title has fallen upon his brother's shoulder, and Kaizo adamant of Fang being kept out of the loop, he's left in the dark.

And the brunt of his brother's popularity made Fang their object of tension release.

Sometimes they would just give him the wrong direction to certain rooms. The verbal humiliation after that grates at his ears, but Fang soldiered on. That doesn't count the tripping in hallways, kicks behind throngs of the crowds, stepping on files that he dropped when someone bumped against him.

(Fang never complained. Not even once. Because if he voiced his displeasure, his brother would know. And he's a force to be reckoned with when it involves him. These people just didn't worth his wrath.)

Those assaults leave him with bruises at minimum, and bleeding cuts at most. Fang had subconsciously picked up wounds bandaging skills from the throngs of injuries he gathered from the other cadets. It hurts, for somebody's sake, does it hurts. But Fang has to be strong.

He just needs to wait until Mom and Dad pick them up.

He can be a good son, just a little bit more.

He won't trouble his brother. These people didn't worth it.

That doesn't mean he goes to sleep every night without tears streaming down his face. He tried screaming into his pillow once, and he had to ask to change bunkmates when he gave him a cut under his hairline, just slightly over his left eyebrow. By 'accidentally' tripping him at the door of their room.

He ended up in a room on a deserted hallway. Funny, if you tell him from a year ago that a room so quiet you can hear yourself breathing would comfort him at the end of his day, Fang would laugh at your face.

Well, at least this time he can cry all he wants. That's a bonus.

~

_ Dia sedang keresahan. Aku perlu pergi kepadanya. _

Ha. Try getting up first, popsicle.

This is one of the few instances that Lydeia realises that she's in a deep sleep, but are unable to wake up. Some sort of sleep paralysis, but she can't even open her eyes. Her sleep paralysis demon must have the rank of a general, at least.

It grates at her nerves.

Really do.

Besides her super sharp senses (that she didn't even know she had), Lydeia also noticed that she was no longer on GemKaur's ship. _ Ada kemungkinan yang dia mengalihkan aku ke kapal yang lain? Tapi itu bukan sifat Kaur. Dia tak pernah benarkan aku jauh dari kamar beraduku. _

The sound of door swooshing open greets her ears. _ Siapakah… _ Being useless and vulnerable made the girl seethes in rage. _ Bila aku sudah bangun nanti, akan aku bincangkan perkara ini dengan Kaur. Tergamak dia tinggalkan aku sebegini- _

There's. Small hands. A set of them. Grasping hers.

It's too soft to hear, under the whirlwind of panic-imbued thoughts creating a blizzard in her head. When it jumps up a second time, Lydeia finally heard it.

_ "Kakak… Kakak okay…" _

And Lydeia find herself able to raise her arm. She placed her left palm at the top of the boy's head, and patted his head with shaky fingers. She did it.

Take that, sleep paralysis demon.

Lydeia caught a soft sniffle, before the child climbed up her cot and curled next to her. She could feel the wetness on her cold skin and smell the salt. The usual cloud she'd always see above him was a muted cumulonimbus, stormy gray with splotches of black.

_ Jadi benarlah dia baru sahaja habis menangis. _

With the self-control of an empress plotting the murder of her idiot husband, Lydeia stowed away the ugly ball of hatred steadily growing in her chest and shifted to curl around the boy. Her heart warms all over when he nuzzled against her stomach.

_ Kakak akan melindungi kau, sayang. _

~

She woke up the next morning, with the basic functions of her muscle actually listening to her commands. Lydeia can't help the whoop of joy that follows.

Had she didn't hug the boy close, he would have catapulted himself off the bed. She hid a chuckle behind the curtains of her hair, smiling down at him as she propped herself up with an elbow. "Selamat pagi, sayang. Tidur kamu nyenyak malam tadi?"

His face turning red at her question amuses her. It's just so endearing. "Jangan berasa malu. Kamu tidak melakukan apa-apa kesalahan. Kakak juga tidak boleh melelapkan mata sehingga kamu tiba, maka kakak ingin berterima kasih kepada kamu."

His hands hovered in the air, uncertain whether to help or not, as Lydeia scooted herself up to the bedpost. She puts on her best reassuring smile, and it widens when she sees the tension fades from his shoulder lines.

"Apa nama kamu, sayang? Namaku Lydeia." She spared a looking around the chamber as she waits for the boy to answer.

From her limited time outside her home estate, she knows that the room is some kind of infirmary ward. The blandness of the wall gave it away. Her hand found the boy's once again and she squeezed his fingers for reassurance.

"Kakak… Kakak. Saya…" He's holding back his tears, beads of dewy drops threatening to fall down his chubby cheeks._ Alamak._

"Mengapa, sayang?" He flung himself right into her arms and Lydeia squeezed the boy tight, exhaling in relief at the melting of anger in her chest.

She found him. Finally. Lydeia can shield him from any harm now.

He wiggled to look up at her, and squinted at her shine. The girl sheepishly ducked her head, emanating an even more vibrant glow.

"Maafkan kakak ye. Bila kakak terlalu gembira, cahaya ni jadi cerah melampau. Berikan kakak masa sedikit." He watches in enraptured fascination as Lydeia willed the glow emanating from her hair back to bearable for the eyes. Don't want the boy's eyesight getting worse.

"Kakak gembira sekarang?"

"Mengapa tidak?" She flicked his nose, and chuckled when he scrunched it. "Kamu dah ada di sini, di sisi kakak. Kakak banyak terhutang budak dengan kamu, sayang."

He tilted his head, forehead scrunched in confusion. “Tapi… Saya tak pernah jumpa kakak pon.”

“Tapi kakak pernah bertemu denganmu, sayang. Cuma…” She scratched at her neck, giving him a small grin. “Nama kamu kakak tak tahu. Boleh kakak tahu nama kamu?”

He scooted up next to her, lacing their fingers together. The heat from her skin seeps into his ice-cold body, and the small child purrs at the welcoming warmth. He flashed her a bright smile, lighting his whole face, and introduced himself. “Nama saya Fang! Helo, kakak!”

_ Taring? _ She glanced into his eyes, the colour of ebony, so deep and dark.... And so, so warm. Lydeia smiled.

_ Anak harimau yang comel... _

"Helo, sayang."


	4. Trouble Inbound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bapies. Bapies on board.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm ded. That's it. Just ded.

It’s not her task per se, but Mega found herself visiting the girl from the GemKaur Raid every morning before she clocks in. Even if she always find her at the same state, eyes closed off to the world, breathing long and shallow, veins still the colour of muted charcoal like angry lightning across her pale arms.

Yet, she never fails to show up.

On the grapevine, some soldiers told her she called herself Lydeia, and her remarkable ability to shut down EnerBot with a single command. When someone else was commandeering it. It’s unheard of. Maybe that was the impression that makes her feet move towards the secluded warding room at the end of the hallway.

_ Ada orang kat floor ni? _ (There's people on this floor?) One of the access panels in front of the rows of room was lit, indicating the chamber was currently occupied. _ Takde dalam pendaftaran pon. Memang nak kena pecat makhluk-makhluk tak reti buat kerja ni. Eiii… (There's no registration or records. These kids half-assing their works. Eiii...) _

She quickly typed her access code into her tablet, and ordered the receptionist to her office. Mega would see it to herself.

Whatever she was anticipating at the end of the hallway, it would never be her boss and the latest prodigy of TAPOPS. “Kapten? Apa kapten buat kat sini?" ("Captain? What are you doing here?")

He lit up when she greets him, literally like an overexcited puppy, pale skin flushing a darker hue. “Mega! Aku baru nak mesej kau, senang lah kau dah ada kat sini. Meh sini aku perkenalkan, Lans Koperal Kaizo. Inilah pembantu aku, Leftenan Mega.” ("Mega! I was just thinking of messaging you, but now you're here, things just get easier. Lemme introduce you, Lance Corporal Kaizo. This is my secretary, Lieutenant Mega.")

_ Darah muda tu… seorang budak, _ (_The young blood... is a brat) _was what went through her mind when she first sees the boy. She heard of the rumours, how he defeated GemKaur in a blink at the raid, how he almost tore the pirate ship in half, how he woke up a day later from multitudes of injuries which requires him to rest for at least a full week, but he went back on a mission on the fourth day.  _ Semestinya bukan budak hingusan, dia ada semangat seorang pahlawan, tapi… (Definitely not a brat, he has the spirit of a warrior, but still...) _

“Aku terlampau muda untuk menjadi seorang Lans Koperal?” ("I'm too young to be a Lance Corporal, is it?") _Budak ni baca fikiran ke apa? _(_Shit, did he read minds?_) Mega stared at him with abjection. The boy gave her a half-smirk.

_ Kena hati-hati dengan budak ni. _ (_Gotta be careful with this one._) “Kapten masih tak jawab soalan saya.” ("You still haven't answered my question.")

Tarung snapped his fingers, putting his hands on their shoulders and pushing them forward. Mega realises that she's at the same height as the lance corporal. “Aku baru teringat. Kaizo tanyakan adik dia, Fang. Jadi aku nak bawak dia pergi bilik dia. Katanya dia baru pindah bilik, kan? Dekat floor ni, jugak. Aku taknak lah kacau dia, jadi mari kita ke bilik dia. Mari!” ("I just remembered. Kaizo was asking for his brother, Fang. So I think it would be fitting to guide him there. He just got a new room, right? It's too early in the morning, I don't want to disturb him. So let's all just go there! Cmon!")

_ Bilik… kat floor ni… _ (_A room... on this floor... _) Someone is slacking off their jobs again. Seriously, why can’t TAPOPS just appoint competent workforce? Looks like Mega finally found one to be scraped off the engine. She quickly set a reminder on her tablet.

When she looked up, the familiar grey coating greeted her.  _ Sekejap… bilik ni… _ (_Wait a sec... this room..._) “Kapten, ni bukan-” ("Captain, this is not-")

A peal of laughter cut through her admission. Tarung still has his finger on the unlock button, and as the door whooshed open, three sets of jaws literally fall to the floor in tandem.

“Kakak, tengok! Saya terbang!” ("Lydeia, look! I'm flying!") Soaring through the dimly lit room, his body luminescent and glowing a faint white glow, the small boy with unkempt bangs and skewed spectacles was laughing with all his heart. The sight was patronized by the girl curled on the bed, fluffy comforter cocooned around her like a nest, eyes half-lidded as she tried her best to keep the boy airborne.

After a while, she reached out her arms to the boy. Thick, dark veins sprouted out of her wrists, disappearing into her egg white skin, and the trio flinched at the view. Whatever that was, it didn’t look pretty. But the boy swooped into her arms happily, unaware of their current audience.

“Kamu seronok, sayang?” ("Are you having fun, dear?")

“Um!”

Kaizo took the initiative to burst the bubble by clearing his throat. The two turned to face them, and the child gasped.

Fang grinned up at him, eyes squinted and canines glinting in the light. Looking so happy… and enlightened. _ Dah lama aku tak nampak dia senyum camtu.  _ (_It's been a while since I've seen that kind of smile on his face._)

“Abang!” ("Brother!")

Then the room brightened like a noon’s fucking sun.

~

Everyone acted differently to their eyes suddenly being blinded. Kaizo slid behind the wall, Tarung groaned while shielding his eyes, and Mega uses her tablet as a makeshift barrier. From inside the room, they heard Fang gasping in shock.

“Kakak! Kenapa buat camtu?” ("Lydeia! Why did you do that?")

“Siapa mereka, Fang? Adakah mereka yang menyerang kapal kakak saban hari?” ("Who are they, Fang? Are they the people who attacked me on the ship twas fortnight ago?"

They could practically hear Fang’s head tilt. “Serang? Saban? Eh, taklah! Kitorang pergi untuk selamatkan kakak!” ("Attack? Fortnight? Eh, no they're not! We went there to save you!")

Kaizo had wrenched the two idiot from the door’s entrance, and now they resort to eavesdropping from behind the wall. It’s kinda rude, but hey. So does flashing people in the eyes while they’re trying to visit you.

“Selamatkan… aku?” ("Save... me?") And now, the unknown girl’s head tilt was audible to the eavesdropping team. “Aku tak perlu diselamatkan. Kakak bukan tawanan perang, sayang. Kaur telah menyelamatkan kakak, kamu semua dah tersilap.” ("I am in no need of salvation. I am no war prisoner, dear. Kaur has saved me from my previous captor, all of you have it wrong.")

“Itu yang kau tersalah anggap.” ("And that's where you have it wrong.") Tarung had stood up from his crouching position, with a pair of shades shielding his eyes. And damn, that’s a high quality one, too. “GemKaur adalah kapten kepada suatu sindiket lanun angkasa yang sering mengganggu keamanan galaksi-galaksi yang dia singgah.” ("Gemkaur is an intergalactic pirate captain that has been terrorizing every galaxy he has ever set foot on.")

She didn’t say anything to that, confirming Kaizo’s theories. He ignored his mask that the light from the girl isn't blinding anymore, before stepping from behind the wall and frowned at her in distaste. The cloud of fireflies around her didn't help. “Kau tau apa GemKaur dah lakukan kepada semua planet yang dia pergi. Kau pun bersubahat dengan dia, kan?” ("You didn't look shocked at this revelation. Are you in league with him?")

“Adakah kau cuba mengatakan… yang Kaur adalah seorang lanun angkasa?” ("What are you trying to tell me... is that Kaur is a space pirate?")

Mega is the last to walk out from behind the wall, her heels clicking against the tile. She handed the tablet in her hands, nodding at the girl to read the content it displays.

The cloud of fireflies buzzed around her, humming silently.

Kaizo had seen all five stages of grief flashing before his opponents’ eyes, but seeing it on the face of a captured war spoils (that didn’t even realise she’s one) made him queasy. Apparently, Fang had the same idea, and buried himself into the girl’s arms. She hugged him back just as hard, breaths shaky and eyelashes wet with unshed tears.

“GemKaur adalah seorang penjenayah intergalaksi yang dikehendaki ramai penguatkuasa angkasa. TAPOPS berjaya menghentikan zaman penjajahan dia pada 7 Mei tahun ni. Itu lima bulan bulan lepas.” ("GemKaur is a wanted criminal across the galaxies. TAPOPS has successfully put an end to his reign of terror on 7th of May. That's five months ago.") Mega has this look of sympathy she rarely wears on her face. The young warrior averted his eyes from the tender moment.

It feels wrong to intrude.

“Aku dah tertidur selama lima bulan…” ("I had been comatose for five months...") Her glow dimmed with the weight of the revelation, and Kaizo felt his heart aches.

Tarung steeled his face, shedding off the pity he felt for the little girl, before getting back to business. "Boleh kau kenalkan diri kau? Mungkin kami boleh cari keluarga kau dan hantar kau pulang." ("Can you identify yourself? We might be able to help relocate your relatives, and send you home.")

"Tapi…" ("But...") Her hair flickers when Laksamana Tarung opens the offer. "Planetku sedang berada dalam keadaan darurat semasa aku diculik." ("My home planet was in chaos when I was abducted.")

Laksamana Tarung nods. "TAPOPS hanya membantu untuk menyelamatkan power sfera, tapi kami juga boleh menghantar pasukan kedamaian untuk planet-planet yang sedang dalam peperangan." ("It might not be in our jurisdiction, but TAPOPS also dispatch humanitarian squads to planets in turbulence besides saving power spheres.")

Kaizo watches as the girl opens her mouth, questions on the tip of her tongue, before clicking her jaws shut until her teeth clacks.  _ Apa yang kau fikirkan? _ (_What's playing on your mind?_) Kaizo can't read her at all.

Finally, after a couple beats of silence, except for the occasional satisfied hum from Fang as the girl ran her fingers through his never-has-touched-a-comb-ever hair, she opens her mouth… 

And utters a name. "Lydeia."

"Er… Boleh kau ulang? Aku tak dengar tadi..." ("Er... Can you repeat that? I didn't catch it earlier...") Mega shot her employer a look. One that Tarung easily ignores.

Lydeia looked up from the child sitting in her lap to his brother, standing still at the foot of her bed. "Namaku Aurelia Lydeia. Bangsa Aurelia, dari planet-" ("I am Aurelia Lydeia. From the race of Aurelia, of Planet-")

Something clatters to the floor, shocking the room's occupants. Four sets of eyes turned to Mega, who was uncharacteristically gaping at the girl. Her tablet was at her feet, the screen cracked and the display damaged beyond salvation.

"Aurelia?" Lydeia's eyes widen, but she nods.

"Planet tu… dah musnah 100 tahun lepas. Dalam pertarungan di antara Hang Kasa dan Retak'ka." ("That planet... was destroyed 100 years ago. During the battle between Hang Kasa and Retak'ka.")

"Perang Elemental." ("The Elemental War.") Kaizo whipped around to stare at the girl slowly turning stone cold in front of them. There's a hum in the air when they first entered the room, and now it's increasing in power.

And the young lance corporal knew that wasn't a good sign.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After weeks of internal battle, I finally decided to translate my Bahasa dialogues. It's twice the workload, but kinda fun. So enjoy-- //broken jazz hands


	5. Who Turned Off the Lights?!?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A fragile heart breaks, and they suffer the consequences.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hmu in twitter @TheNamesH if you wanna ask abt anything

Fang knew something was wrong the moment STARDAS hums increases in volume. Kak Lydeia told him that those fireflies-like power spheres are attuned to her mentally, and explained some other stuff he can't understand.

_ "Saya tak faham lah, kakak." _ ( **"** ** _I don't understand, Lydeia._ ** ") She simply smiled and ruffled his hair.

_ "Takpe, Fang. Nanti kamu akan faham. Mari kakak tunjukkan apa yang boleh STARDAS lakukan." ( _ ** _"It's fine, Fang. You will, soon. Now let me show you what STARDAS are capable of._ ** ")

He was exhilarated to be zipping through the air, to be able to touch the ceiling and float around Kak Lydeia. And seeing the smile bloom on her face, it made Fang even more giddy to appease her.

When his brother and Captain Tarung walked in with Lieutenant Mega, the young boy had a feeling something bad is going to happen. And now they knew Kak Lydeia's planet was destroyed.

And now her palms were icy cold on his skin.

"Planet ku… dah musnah?" (" **My planet… has been destroyed?** ") Her voice cracks at the end, shaking and wet with emotions. "Seratus tahun lepas? Ini bukan satu hal yang boleh dibawa bergurau- Kau orang jangan-" (" **A hundred years ago? This is no joking matter- Never-** ")

One of the light panels flicker when Fang felt a drop of water hit his forehead. Does the ceiling have holes in them? He didn't see that earlier.

Kak Lydeia held him fast, stopping him from looking up.

Lieutenant Mega's face was hot pink when she retorts. "Kejadian tu tercatat dalam sejarah. Kami tak menipu kau, Lydeia. Planet Aurelia dah musnah, kaum Aurelian dah terhapus dari spesies makhluk angkasa, kau dah tertidur selama seratus-" ("The  **war has been recorded in history. We are not deceiving you, Lydeia. Planet Aurelia was destroyed, the Arelin ethnic obliterated in the massacre, you have been asleep for one h-** ")

"JANGAN TIPU AKU!" (" **DON'T LIE TO ME!** ")

The whole station quakes at the outburst from the small girl. Fang shrunk in on himself when Kaizo pulls out his sword, Tarung holding Mega's elbow to stabilize her footing. STARDAS was going manic around them, flashing in irregular patterns and vibrating in the air. Kak Lydeia still doesn't let him turn to face her.

"Katakan kau bercanda denganku. Jenaka ini tak kelakar, kau tahu. Hentikan semua ini." (" **Take back what you've said. This is not funny. Stop it.** ") She's shaking. Her hands were shaking from where Kak Lydeia held his arms.

_ Kak Lydeia… menangis ke? (Is Kak Lydeia… crying?) _

"Kau tidak-" (" **You're not-** ") There it is. The water droplets on his eyebrow and nose. "Kau berkata benar." (" **You're telling the truth.** ")

And the whole room blacks out.

* * *

Kaizo was ready to knock Lydeia out if the situation gets worse, when Tarung held an arm in front of him. "Tunggu. Dia bukan musuh kita." (" **Halt. She is not an enemy.** ")

"Kapten, ada kecemasan di bilik janakuasa." (" **Captain, there's an emergency in the power source room.** ") Blood trickled from the female lieutenant's finger when she swapped at the cracked tablet screen. "Tenaga stesen ini tiba-tiba jadi tak stabil. Kalau ni berterusan, mungkin kita perlu tinggalkan-" (" **The station's power source suddenly went out of control. If this continues, we might have to evacuate-** ")

A whimper escaped the girl, and the station shook once again. "Kakak!" (" **Lydeia!** ") Fang's scream had Kaizo turning to face their only light source.

Her hair frazzled from her fingers clutching her head and its glow dimming in the dark room, Lydeia looked like a mental asylum resident who had just escaped from her ward. Kaizo felt her, being the only witness to his parents sacrifice and having to leave their only home for the 'greater good of the galaxy'.

What would be the 'greater good' for Fang and him? The world is unfair.

"Kita takde masa nak pindahkan semua orang. Mega!" (" **There won't be enough time for full evac. Mega!** ") Tarung's fingers wrapped around the female's thin arms, and he nodded towards the door. "Kita kena buat sesuatu untuk stabilkan balik tenaga stesen TAPOPS ni. Mari!" (" **We need to do something to stabilise the station's power. Let's go!** ")

Kaizo readjusts the grip on his sword, and moves to follow the two. "Kakak…"

Fang…

He can't leave him here. "Kapten, saya-" (" **Captain--** ")

"Kalau kau nak ikut aku pun," (" **Even if you were to follow me,** ") the striped alien interjects, "aku takkan benarkan kau. Tunggu sini." (" **I won't let you. Stay here.** ")

"Aku tak rasa kita tinggalkan Lydeia dengan Fang bersendirian satu idea yang bijak." (" **I don't think leaving Lydeia and Fang alone would be wise.** ") And with that, he's off with his lieutenant.

Kaizo closes the door after them, stumbling when the floor shook again, and landed at the feet of Lydeia's bed. He wanted to leave, when Fang looked up from his comforting Lydeia and shook his head. Vehemently.

The lance corporal stays, albeit awkwardly. Listening to his brother having a one-sided conversation with a girl going through her world-shattering crisis.

"Kakak tengah sedih eh? Kakak jangan sedih-sedih. Kakak senyumlah. Saya suka bila kakak senyum." (" **Are you sad? Please don't be. I want you to smile. I like it when you smile.** ")

"Kakak, kakak jangan lah nangis. Nanti…" (" **Please don't cry. If you cry…** ") His voice garbled and croaks at the end. Oh no… "Nanti saya nak nangis sekali…" (" **Then I'll cry too…** ")

"Aku…" (" **I…** ")  _ Mata dia bercahaya _ , ( _ Her eyes glow _ ) is what went through Kaizo's head when Lydeia looks up from hiding her face on her knees. It glowed the same bright orange hue as her hair. "Aku dah tiada sesiapa… Aku… Aku keseorangan… dalam dunia ni…" (" **I have no one else… I'm all alone… in this world…** ")

Tears slipped down Fang's cheeks, the sputtering glow from Lydeia's hair reflecting off its trail. "Kakak kan ada saya? Saya takkan tinggalkan kakak. Kan kita dah janji?" (" **You have me, right? I promised that I will never leave you. We promised.** ")

Glowing orange and ebony black irises stared at each other for a few tense seconds, when Fang reached up to wipe at Lydeia's wet cheeks. "Kakak jangan nangis dah. Tak cantik bila kakak nangis." (" **You no cry. Lydeia no look pretty when you cry.** ")

Kaizo choked on his spit, while Lydeia barked out a short laugh. She returned the deed with Fang, using the corners of her blanket to wipe his tears off. The brother watched the interaction, chest heavy with a feeling of emptiness.

"Kakak masih lagi sedih," (" **I am still sad,** ") the girl starts, taking a deep breath, "tapi kakak akan cuba ubati duka di hati kakak ni. Terima kasih, sayang. Dan-" (" **but this pain is tolerable now, thanks to you, dear. And--** ")

It took Kaizo a while to notice the look Lydeia is giving him. Oh. He still didn't introduce himself.

"Nama aku Kaizo. Abang kepada Fang." (" **I am Kaizo. Fang's brother** .") She gave him a brief smile, the quirk of her lips tinged with guilt. Now why should she-

"Kau…" (" **You…** ") The glow her hair emits now has stabilised, and currently raising in brightness. Fang laughed as Lydeia hid her face behind the bright curtains of her glowing hair. Kaizo has to activate his mask to fend off the brightness.

"Kakak, janganlah malu!" (" **Lydeia, you don't have to be shy!** ")

"Ini semua salahku, mana mungkin aku tak berasa malu!" (" **How I cannot be, ahsn it is all because of me!** ")

Kaizo turned to his little brother for explanation.

"Saya pon tak faham sangat apa yang Kak Lydeia cuba terangkan, tapi kakak boleh ma- ma- manipu-" (" **I don't really understand what she tries to say, but Lydeia can ma-- man-- manipu--** ")

"Manipulasi tenaga?" (" **Manipulate energy?** ") Kaizo offers. He raised his hands in surrender when Fang pouted at him.

"Kasilah saya terangkan!" (" **Lemme explain!** ") He was disturbed by Lydeia pulling him into her lap and hiding her face on top of his head. Fang reached up with his small hands and patted her nose. "Kakak malu lagi?" (" **Are you still shy?** ")

"Hmmm."

"Boleh kakak terangkan semula tadi? Dekat abang?" (" **Can you tell it again? What you told me, to my brother?** ")

A few seconds of silence, before she hums again. He saw that the fireflies has stopped buzzing around them, opting to float lazily about.

"Adakah kau pernah belajar mengenai kaumku, Kaum Aurelia?" (" **Have you ever learnt about my people, the Aurelians?** ") At Kaizo's nod, she continues. 

When Kaizo interjects before she could. "Kaum Aurelia adalah pelopor teknologi yang pertama. Mengikut sejarah, robot adalah ciptaan pertama kaum kau, inspirasi yang diambil dari sistem badan kaum Aurelia sendiri." (" **The Aurelians are the founding ethnic of technology. From their own bodily functions, the first robot was created by your people, when other planets was still scrambling for civilization.** ")

"Benar. Lain kali, jangan menyampuk apa yang ku cuba katakan." (" **That is correct. Do not interrupt me next time.** ") Lydeia gave him a glare that Kaizo returns with a flat look. 

Fang looked from his brother back to his sister. It seems like Captain Tarung had made a grave mistake of leaving these two in the same room. He just hoped they can get along later. 


	6. Oh Lore? Pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some lore about the power spheres

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look, it's not actually a filler chap--
> 
> Hol' up, maybe if I--
> 
> Yep, a filler chapter.
> 
> At least we get to see fang enjoying his childhood in this one

"Stesen ini mengalami gangguan bekalan tenaga tadi..." ( **"The power disturbance from earlier…"** ) Lydeia scratches at her neck, grinning sheepsihly. “Itu keranaku.” ( **"I am its cause."** )

She drones on before Kaizo could even get a word out.

"Seperti mana yang kau dengan celuparnya telah memberitahu kepada kami semua tadi, kaum Aurelia adalah pelopor teknologi pertama kepada semua makhluk di sektor ini. Kaum alien pertama yang berjaya menghasilkan suatu ciptaan yang boleh berfungsi dengan sendiri dan tidak memerlukan sokongan dari luar. Dan ini semua berkaitan dengan sistem tubuh badan kami juga." ( **"As you had rudely interrupted me earlier, we Aurelians are the first being contributing towards technology in this sector. A race that is able to create a system that is capable of functioning by itself without any external support. And it was all created with the idea from our bodily functions, as well."** )

She motions to herself, all bones and drabby clothing, with a hand. "Kaumku mempunyai kebolehan untuk menjana dan menyerap tenaga dari persekitaran kami, dan inilah yang diimplimentasi kepada sfera kuasa yang dihasilkan di Planet Aurelia. Mereka tak perlukan penyelengaraan kerap, cuma seorang tuan yang dianggap layak untuk memiliki sebuah sfera kuasa. Dan mereka akan berkhidmat di bawah arahan orang itu." ( **"My race also have the ability to produce and absorb energy from our surroundings, and this is implemented to the power spheres manufactured on Planet Aurelia. They do not need constant tinkering, only a master they see befitting to serve under. And they will stay loyal under their assigned masters."** )

"Bukankah power sfera dicipta dari generasi pertama, dan generasi pertama akan mencipta generasi yang kedua, dan peringkat seterusnya akan membuat generasi yang seterusnya?" ( **"Isn't the first generation of power spheres created the second of power spheres, and the hierarchy follows that step until the last power spheres?"** ) Kaizo frowns, crossing his arms and staring at the girl.  _ Ingat boleh kelentong aku? (You think you can one up me?)  _ "Kenapa kau cakap kaum kau ada menghasilkan power sfera pulak?” ( **"Now where did these power spheres manufactured by Aurelians comes from?"** )

With a knowing smile and head tilt Kaizo knew he’s going to loathe in the future, Lydeia confidently replies, "Kau masih belum menemui kesemua sfera kuasa di galaksi ini. Bererti mereka masih selamat. Itu bermakna ilmu bersembunyi yang disetkan di dalam memori mereka berhasil menyembunyikan kedudukan mereka. Masih lagi berjuang, walaupun sudah seratus tahun!” ( **"You still haven't found all of the power spheres. Which means they are still safe. Which means the illumination program installed inside them are working to make them hide from hunters. Still valiantly fighting, even after a hundred years!"** )

Lydeia laughed, glee evident in her voice, and Kaizo felt like punching a wall.

“Klamkabot pasti berasa bangga dengan ciptaan kaumku. Oh, aku perlu bertemu dengan rakanku itu semula! Bagaimana harusku menghubungi dia… Jikalau seratus tahun sudah berlalu, ketam tua itu pasti bersembunyi di planet yang tidak berpenghuni… Kuasa yang dibawanya juga sangat bernilai, dan jikalau ia jatuh ke tangan yang salah…” ( **"Klamkabot will be proud of our creations. Oh, how I missed that dear friend of mine! How should I contact him… If a hundred year has passed, the old hermit will be hiding on an unhabitated planet… The power he wields is precious, and if it falls into the wrong hands…"** )

She ended her rants with an excited clap, and spun Fang around in her lap. “Sekarang bukanlah masa untukku berfikir! Kamu lapar, sayang? Kakak rasa seperti ingin menjamah sesuatu.” ( **"Let's not dawdle on unnecessary conflicts! Are you hungry, dear? I am feeling rather peckish."** )

“Jom makan!” ( **"Let's eat!"** ) Fang scooted off her lap, and fluidly hopped down the bed. Kaizo frowned, staring at his little brother motioning Lydeia off the bed. Noticing the wince on his face from the jump.

“Sabar, Fang. Lydeia-” ( **"Patience, Fang. Lydeia is-"** ) She slid off the bed with a clunk, and fell flat on her face. Like, she was made out of slime. Time seems to freeze in the room, when a scoff came from the lance corporal.

Her groan of pain was barely audible from how hard Kaizo was laughing at her. He sounded like a dying donkey on his last breath when he fell on his butt.

Lydeia’s bony fingers were wrapped around his ankle, her orange eyes glowing iridescent. “Kau yang mulakan dulu.” ( **"You started this first."** )

“Kau nak lawan ke?” ( **"You picking a fight?"** )

“Kau cukup berani ke?” (" **Are you a man enough for it?"** )

“Kakak… Abang…” ( **"Kaizo… Lydeia…"** ) Fang looked between his brother and sister having a stare off on the floor, gnawing at his bottom lip. What will happen now?

* * *

“Budak perempuan pun kau nak buli sekarang, Kaizo?” ( **"Now you're bullying girls, Kaizo?"** ) Lydeia shrieked when she was lifted off the floor with one hand. Thick muscled arm looped around her waist before Lydeia was hoisted up like a duffel bag. Tarung was grinning at her, fangs glinting in the glow of her shock. “Lydeia!  _ Nice timing _ , aku nak tanya kau beberapa soalan. Kau boleh tolong kitorang tak…” ( **"Lydeia! Nice timing, I actually have a few questions to ask you. I wonder if you could give us a hand…"** )

Fang tilted his head at her, reminding her of why she face planted into the ground in the first place. “Maaf kerana terpaksa menolak arahan kau, kapten, tapi aku dan Fang sedang kelaparan sekarang. Maka, kami…” ( **"I apologize for declining your request, captain, but Fang and I are searching for some refreshments to satiate our hunger. So…"** ) She needs to eat something. After five months!

Tarung let out a full-body laugh, rocking the girl in his left arm, and Kaizo held her in place while they waited for him to finish laughing. “Jangan risau! Kami akan bawakkan makanan untuk kau ke sini.” ( **"Do not fret! We will bring food for the both of you here."** ) He dragged a chair and settled on it, putting Lydeia back on her bed. “Kami masih lagi tak dapat nak tentukan kau di pihak yang mana. Tapi dengan masalah teknikal yang datang tiba-tiba tadi,” ( **"We are still unable to decide which side are you on. Judging from unexpected technical casualties from earlier,"** ) the girl’s glow brightened in intensity, and Tarung clicked his tongue, “aku faham. Perkara ni akan aku bawa ke Laksamana Koko Ci dan Maskmana. Sebab Maskmana ketua operasi pada hari tu.” ( **"I understand. I will bring this into a meeting with Admiral Koko Ci and Maskmana. He is the one leading the raid, so he has to be notified of this."** ) He adds when Kaizo gave him an incredulous look.

“Bagi aku masa untuk hubungi pekerja kafeteria. Kaizo, kau masih belum laporkan diri, kan?” ( **"Give me some time to alert the cafeteria. Kaizo, have you report in at the main control room?"** ) The young lance corp let out a low curse, which Lydeia gave him a stink eye look before he books it.

She watches. It’s all she was able to do since forever, it seems. The way Fang bit his lips from calling out to his brother, the longing look in his eyes. Fingers curled into his lap, heads bowed. Sadly looking up when Kaizo walked past him like he hadn’t forgotten anything.  _ Macam tu rupanya _ . _ (Ah, I see.) _

Lydeia might be physically useless all her life, but what she lacks in mobility, the girl tops up with deduction and near-perfect analysis and theories. She’s one of the main reasons why Aurelia was attacked in the first place.

An unlimited power source that can do your maths for you. How metal is that?

_Dah, berhenti bermuram, Lydeia._ _(Enough, stop moping, Lydeia.) _She poked the boy on her lap in his ribs, and grabbed him close before he could face plant into the ground. Fang pouted, staring up at her while the girl chuckled.

"Kamu mahu makan apa? Kakak dah lama tak makan selain dari bubur dan roti, jadi kakak kurang arif bab ini…" ( **"What are having? I haven't had anything besides bread and porridge, so I am quite unclear in this… whole menu concept…"** )

The boy nodded, his mouth forming a perfect 'O' before scooting closer to her on the bed. "Kat sini banyak makanan sedap! Tapi saya paling suka donat lobak merah. Sedap sangat!" ( **"We have loads of delicious food here! But my favorite is carrot donuts. It's super duper delicious!"** )

"Benarkah?" ( **"Is that so?"** )

"Um! Kakak kena cuba donat lobak merah, sedap~ Lagi, lagi! Ada puding karamel, piza, burger keju, jus lobak merah tambah susu! Saya suka-" ( **"Um! You have to try carrot donut, it's so good~ And, and! There's caramel pudding, pizza, cheeseburgers, carrot juice with milk! I love-"** )

"Fang?" The two turned towards Tarung who was giving them an awkward smile. "Lydeia baru je bangun dari koma, jadi dia tak boleh makan makanan berat. Apa kata kita bagi dia sup dulu?" ( **"Lydeia had just woken up from a coma, I think heavy courses are not suitable for her stomach. What if she starts with soup first?"** )

Perking up with that suggestion, the boy nodded. "Kalau camtu, saya pun nak sup jugak!" ( **"Then, I wanna eat soup too!"** )

Lydeia frowned at him, poking the boy once again in his ribs. "Ni kakak boleh rasa tulang rusuk kamu ni. Kamu kena makan lebih banyak, sayang. Baru boleh membesar cepat. Mintak makanan lain juga. Segera." ( **"Darling, I can feel your ribs poking my fingers. You need to eat more. Then only will you grow up faster. Pick something else. Hurry."** )

"Ehhh? Tapi saya nak makan sup sama macam kakak!" ( **"Ehhh? But I wanna eat soup, just like you!"** )

"Ambil lah juga makanan lain. Kalau tak, kakak geletek kamu!" (" **Yes, you can. But eat something else too. Or I will tickle you!"** )

He shrieked, crawling on all fours towards the end of the bed. "Tanak! Saya nak sup jugak!" ( **"No! I still wanna soup!"** )

* * *

_ Budak berdua ni… bukan baru berjumpa pagi ni ke? Macam adik beradik dah-  _ ( _ These two… didn't they just met this morning? Already looking like two siblings-- _ ) Tarung banished the thoughts from his head. It's not right, Kaizo is Fang's biological brother.

_ Tapi dia bukan layan sangat pon adik dia-  _ ( _ Is he even treating him like one- _ )

No. Bad. Bad brain.

While the two had announced a parley in their war, Tarung took a seat across Lydeia. It's hard to acknowledge that this skinny girl in a hospital bed thrice her size is actually a century old alien that is the last of her species. But the glowing hair and eyes plus the Sunnova Station power imbalance just now just confirmed their theories.

Mega had brought up Lydeia's ancestry as to be of Aurelian from the footage caught by one of GemKaur's rebels. They themselves didn't know much about the girl from the fact that she acts as their power source and she loves to cook when she's awake.

And one day, she just woke up and was struck with the truth: she's alone in an advanced world and she's the last of her once the most advanced race in the galaxy. It must have been hard shouldering those burdens.

"Baiklah. Patutnya ni kerja pembantu aku, tapi dia tengah buat kerja belakang tabir yang aku pun tak tau apa." ( **"Alright. This is supposed to be my assistant's work, but she's doing something else at the moment. Which even I know nothing of."** ) Tarung shrugged. "Kami dah tahu nama penuh kau, cuma keterangan dari kau, macam mana kau boleh sampai ke tangan GemKaur." ( **"We already know your full name, just need to get your statement on how you ended up with GemKaur."** )

The girl's face pinched in exasperation, and Tarung quickly adds, "Benda-benda serabut macam tarikh, planet mana dia melawat, semua tu tak payah. Aku faham yang nak ingat semula benda yang dah lepas macam susah sikit, Lydeia. Tapi kami perlukan keterangan daripada kau supaya GemKaur dapat balasan setimpal dengan apa yang dia dah lakukan." ( **"We don't need anything too detailed, no dates, no planets, nada. I do understand that reminiscing ** ** _those _ ** **days are a bit hard, Lydeia. But we need evidence from you to penalize GemKaur befitting of his charges."** )

"Aku mungkin tak dapat membantu kau…" ( **"I might have nothing to offer you…"** ) Tarung sighed blearily at that, when she adds, "tapi mungkin STARDAS boleh menjawab segala persoalan kau." ( **",but maybe STARDAS can."** )

As if recognising their name, the fireflies-like power spheres floated gently around Lydeia and Fang. Some of them grazed the boy's cheeks, and Fang giggled. "Geli lah~" ( **"It tickles~"** )

"Ini… Power sfera?" ( **"This… power spheres?"** ) Lydeia nods, cupping some in her palms before opening it. In them lay a golden sphere the size of an egg.

"STARDAS adalah ciptaan abangku, Aurelia Rayyan.  _ System Technically Accessible to Rayyan and his Dearly Adorable Sister _ , STARDAS. Jangan ditanya mengapa namanya sebegitu, aku pun tak tahu." ( **"STARDAS is a creation of my brother, Aurelia Rayyan. System Technically Accessible to Rayyan and his Dearly Adorable Sister, STARDAS. No question about his choice of labeling, please. I have no idea how his brain works, either."** ) She quips before the captain could even grab a breath.

Okay, then.

"Kau kata STARDAS boleh membantu aku?" ( **"STARDAS can give me a statement?"** ) Lydeia nods and closes her eyes. The sphere in her palm brightened as her own glow dims, and several holographic tabs open in front of them.

Dates and events started pouring into the tabs, and Lydeia opens her eyes. "Ambil yang ni. Kesemua data yang kau perlukan ada dalam sfera itu. Tapi pastikan kau hanya gunakan sfera itu untuk mengakses data mengenai tempoh masaku dibawah… tahanan GemKaur." ( **"Take this. All the data you shall need is in that power sphere. But only use it to access the data of my… imprisonment under GemKaur."** ) She blinks, handing Tarung the sphere, before continuing. "Kalau tidak, STARDAS itu mungkin akan mengunci dirinya sendiri sehingga aku membukanya semula." ( **"If the rule is violated, STARDAS will be automatically locked until it returns to my hand once again. Then its lock will be opened."** )

"Canggihnya. Ini bukan bawah generasi asal power sfera kan?" ( **"That's pretty advanced. This is not one of the first generation power spheres, right?"** ) He twirls the sphere in his palm. The size was laughably small in his humongous hand, it looked like he's holding a turtle's egg. "Memang  _ setting _ dia camtu ke?" ( **"Is it already set that way?"** )

"Tak. Aku baru setkan tadi." ( **"No. I just set it like so earlier."** )


	7. A Blond Australian Has Entered the Chatroom

Kaizo is up for another mission (his penalty will not be over until next month- man, Maskmana sure is tough) on the next day, so he's grabbing lunch and dinner with Fang. Imagine his surprise sliding his room card into the slot only to be denied access.

"Eh? Dah balik, Lans Koperal?" (“ **Eh? Back so soon, Lance Corporal?** ”)  _ Suara tu… Menyampahnya… (That voice… Ugh, so annoying…) _

"R." It's purely pleasantries at this point, but Kaizo didn't hide his unease around his fellow colleagues. He knew of their envy to his prowess.

And he doesn't give a flying fuck.

Under Maskmana's division, you need to prove your worth. Some questioned his, all because of the power sphere he wields in battle. When Kaizo beat them in battle without Enerbot, they spread rumors of him being boot-lickers of the higher ups.

Weaklings. Denying their own unworthiness.

Yet, R is different. "Kalau kau cari adik kau, dia dah pindah bilik. Dah tak sebilik dengan Kadet Apetahnamamat tu. Floor 5 rasanya dia dapat, yang orang cakap berhantu tu." (“ **If you’re looking for your brother, he’s moved. He no longer bunked with the whatshisname cadet. Heard he’s on Floor 5, the one people be talking to be haunted.** ”)

"Ha? Kenapa?" (“ **Ha? Why?** ”) The blond shrugged, running a hand through his spiked hair. It seriously looked like uncooked ramen, fashion police arrest this guy please.

"Tahlanak. Taknak la bukak pekung di dada adinda kamu~" (“ **I have no idea. Why woulda fish for your lil bro’s sob stories~** ”)This guy at it again. Kaizo drummed his fingers against the pommel of his Energy Sword, and R grinned. " _ Better if you ask your brother himself _ . Ni pendapat aku, kau boleh je tanak dengar. Aku kisah apa. Tapi aku rasa tak patut kau tinggalkan dia kat stesen ni." (“ **Better if you ask your brother himself. It’s my penny, take it or leave it. I don’t really give a damn. But I still think you shouldn’t leave him all alone in the station.** ”)

"Kau pun tau ni bukan apa yang aku nak." (“ **You know this isn’t my decision to make.** ”) All he received as a reply was a drawled out hum, before R slung his arm over his shoulder. " _ Speaking of which _ , kau dah tau ke yang tahanan GemKaur tu dah sedar? Budak perempuan yang  _ shut down _ EnerBot sebelum kau-" (“ **Speaking of which, you know that GemKaur’s prisoner has woken up? The girl who shuts down EnerBot before you--** ”)

He made an array of jazz hands, before pursing his lips. "Kau paham-pahamlah sendiri." (“ **You get it.** ”)

Kaizo feigned innocence. "Tak. Bila?" “ **No. When?** ”)

"Pagi tadi. Sebelum gangguan bekalan tenaga stesen ni. Dengar Leftenan Mega laporkan dekat Laksamana Koko Ci tadi." (“ **Just this morning. Right before the station’s power failure. I heard Lieutenant Mega reporting it to Admiral Koko Ci.** ”)

"Kalau kau teruskan buat kerja tak berfaedah ni, kau akan kena tangkap satu hari nanti. Lebih baik kau berhenti menghendap laporan." (“ **You will get caught one day if you keep doing this. Stop snooping on reports.** ”)

"Alah, tak seronokla taktau apa-apa yang jadi dalam TAPOPS! Bolehlah aku ajak kau gosip-gosip kalau aku tau sikit-sikit, kan~?" (“ **D’aww, it’s not fun being out of the loop! We can have the freshest gossip, right from the source! Plus, material for men’s nights, amirite~?** ”) R uncoiled his arms from around Kaizo's shoulder, holding his chest in mock hurt. "Ye lah, orang tu dah naik pangkat jadi Lans Koperal. Kita ni apelah sangat, baru nak exam promotion naik pangkat… Dia tu dah jauh maju kehadapan dari kita… Hmm, yelah…" (“ **Well, now that he has been promoted to Lance Corp… Us cadets are not on par with him… My qualification exam for the promotion will be later... What’s the worth, of us, mere cadets…** ”)

"Banyak lah kau." (“ **Shut up, you’re being annoying.** ”) R snickered when Kaizo rolled his eyes at him.

"Jadi, kau ada misi lagi lepasni?" (“ **So mate, any other mission after this?** ”) Kaizo shook his head at R's question. They have reached the fifth floor, when the lance corporal did a double take. _ Ni floor bilik Lydeia… (This is Lydeia room’s floor…) _

He headed straight towards the girl's room and entered without announcing his arrival. R who was tagging behind him, gaped at the two playing card games using neatly-cut crepes with various fillings on the bed.

Maybe it's the god-forsaken Rapunzel-like hair flowing down from the petite girl’s head to the floor. And don't forget that it glows like fairy's lights, brightness changing on the girl's whims. Or it could be the golden fireflies-like dust floating around in the room. Some brushed against his forehead, and he flinched from the unexpected warmth. Kaizo still haven't yet to crack the mystery which is Aurelia Lydeia.

It ticks him a little.

R opened his mouth to greet Fang and the girl, when the bespectacled boy ripped a new one on the game and kept stacking colour-coded crepes onto the plate. They watched, enraptured, as Fang demolished Lydeia in space Uno.

"Uno! Kakak ni… Dah kali kelima kita main, saya je menang." (“ **Uno! Lydeia… this is my fifth win in a row.** ”) Fang pouted, his bangs flying in disarray when he huffed. "Bila kakak nak menang ni?" (“ **When will you beat me?** ”)

"Bukan salah kakak jika permainan ini terlalu sukar untuk kakak fahami. Mengapa semuanya harus ditentukan dengan warna? Langsung tidak masuk akal." (“ **It is not my fault if this game is too hard for me to comprehend. Why must the turns be determined by colors? Illogical.** ”) She grabbed a handful of her hair, and pushed them away from her face before leaning against the bedpost.

"Err…" Kaizo turned to R, frowning at him for busting them out. " _ Maybe because that's the rule of the game? _ Kau memang kena ikut warna ataupun simbol pada setiap kad untuk main Uno. Hey, Fang." (“ **Maybe because that’s the rule of the game? You need to stack your cards according to the color or symbols on the cards to play Uno. Heya, Fang.** ”)

"Abang R!" Fang waved at the cadet, scooting over to give him space on the bed. He almost sat right on top of Lydeia's lap. "Jomlah main Uno! Pekerja kafeteria bagi kami krep ni, jadi saya mintak diorang potong jadi kad." (“ **Come join us! The cafeteria lady gave us these crepes, and I asked them to cut it into rectangles.** ”)

He proudly raised a pink-colored one. "Tengok ni! Uno!" (“ **Watch this! Uno!** ”) And promptly bit into it. Kaizo worries about the amount of sugar his brother is consuming.

"Wah, macam best! Abang nak cicah Milo, baru sedap. Nak  _ join _ main Uno!" (“ **Woah, that looks fun! I wanna dip it in Milo, that’s the best! Lemme join in the game!** ”) Shame must have been what he lacks in the personality department, that R bounds over time the bed, climbed up and situated himself in the middle of the mattress.

Lydeia smiled at the new face, the edge of her lips tight. "Dan boleh aku tahu, siapakah nama kau?" (“ **And may I know your name?** ”)

"Oh, panggil je aku R. Kaizo pon panggil aku tu." (“ **Oh, call me R. Even Kaizo calls me that.** ”) He jabbed a thumb at the direction of the lance corp, and Kaizo rolled his eyes.

"Fang." The boy perked up from his seat (currently on top of Lydeia's thighs) and tilted his head at him. "Kenapa kau tukar bilik?" (“ **Why the room change?** ”)

The whole room tensed. R pulled back from putting down a red stop card on Lydeia.

His voice stayed clear when he speaks, but the girl felt Fang tremble in her arms. "Abang tak dapat notifikasi daripada Divisyen Penempatan, ke? Saya dah isi borang, dalam tu ada nama abang sebagai penjaga saya." (“ **You didn’t get any notifications from the Accommodation Division? Your name is there, for my guardian.** ”)

Kaizo's clutch on his arm tightens. "Tak. Aku tak dapat." (“ **No. Nothing.** ”)

"Oh."

A gasp from Lydeia had the two brothers looking at the Uno crepe showers R is making. " _ Aaand-- _ Uno! Ha, abang dah kalahkan awak!" (“ **Aaand-- UNO! Ha, suck it losers!** ”) Fang yelped when the blond flicked his nose, and threw his card at R. Which he caught with his mouth, before chewing on it.

"Um! Epal hijau!  _ Join _ lah, Kaizo!" (“ **Yum! Green apple flavor. Come join us, Kaizo!** ”)

The lance corp hesitates. He is still in his uniform, sore as hell from his mission, and still hadn't grab a meal. But the yearning look on his brother's face stirs at his heart. _ Kau akan menyesal kalau kau tolak permintaan dia. (You’ll regret turning this down.) _

With a sigh, Kaizo drags himself over to the bed and plops down next to R. With a broad grin, he collects the scattered Uno crepes and started shuffling them. Lydeia blinked, backing away when he started doing it faster and faster.

"Ini-- macam berbahaya." (“ **This-- this look dangerous.** ”)

"Dia memang macam ni. R, buat betul-betul--" (“ **It’s his primal instinct. R, do it n--** ”)

With a  _ thwack!, _ assorted flavors of jam and colored crepes rained on the gang. Fang laughed at the shower, opening his mouth and catching the trail mix as Lydeia blinked, bewildered by the turn of events. R was kicked off the bed by a fuming Kaizo.

The blond didn't care, he was busy laughing at their faces. Softening his landing with a roll, R scooped some trails from the floor and flung it at Kaizo.

"Abang R, jangan--" (“ **R, no--** ”)

It hit the lance corp. Dead on. His face.

Lydeia got up from the floor, picked Fang from the bed, and floated off with the aid of STARDAS. He knew that look in their faces, the haughty grin, the thunderous gaze.

And she's staying away from all of it. "Kakak, kita nak pergi mana?" (“ **Lydeia, where are we going?** ”)

"Jauh dari pertarungan yang akan memusnahkan bilik ni." (“ **Away from the massacre that is going to happen.** ”) Yep, nailed it.

* * *

The next morning, Mega made her way to Lydeia's room with breakfast for two in her arms. When the door slid open, she had to grip the tray tighter to make sure it wouldn't go to waste.

Lydeia and Fang are still sound asleep, curled up against each other and snoring peacefully in their respective land of dreams. Both Kaizo and R were also knocked out in the same room, their sleep undisturbed by the appearance of the lieutenant. All of them looked peaceful in their sleep, even the eternal frown on Kaizo's face mellowed a bit.

But the state of the room suggests something disastrous happened last night.

  
"Ini kena bagitau kru pembersihan…" (" **I need to alert the cleaning crew…"** )


	8. A Turning Point

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A father has entered the chat

"Sekarang, kita tentukan. Siapa yang akan bebas dari bilik ni--" (" **Let's see who get to walk outta here--** ")

"Fang! Tengok apa yang kakak jumpa!" (" **Fang! Look at what I found!** ") The door was flung open, and Lydeia zipped past the villain to the small boy hiding behind the makeshift table bunker. She held up a Nintendo DS, the brightness from her hair making the villain groan. 

And he did a stupid thing. He covered his eyes, and Captain Tarung moved in for the kill.

Mega watched over the two as the other cadets led by Tarung finished securing the rebels ambushing the station. Produced two pair of earbuds from her pockets, and they were lost in their games. Fang managed to reach the second world on Mario Bros when Tarung dragged a man in indigo shades over to the team.

"Tolong jagakan si bedebah ni. Aku kena kutip pengganas yang lain." ( **"Take care of this weasel, I need to round up the others."** ) The man was dumped like a bag of potatoes next to the two and Mega, and she kept a patronizing gaze on him as the captain marched away.

He focused his attention to the two children, gasping as they jumped over a pit way too wide for Mario to get over. The way the boy turned to grin at the girl every time they passed a level in the game, an increase in the girl's hair brightness when the boy almost fell into a pit, their apparent physical difference.

"Alahlahlah~ Comelnya adik kamu. Boleh tak kalau saya--" ( **"My! What a cute brother you have there, miss. Would you mind if I--"** ) A charged baton appeared millimeters from his nose, and the man looked up to see the stoic lieutenant with a murderous look on her face.

"Jauhkan diri kau dari mereka." (" **Stay away from them.** ") There's no room for argument in her tone. With a nervous chuckle, the man scooted away from the two children.

"Aku tak buat apa-apa pun, Me--" (" **I didn't even do anything, Me--** ") This time, his shades were sent flying from his face. Wide dual colored irises stared at the baton aimed at his face. He yelped when a stray charge zapped at the tip of his nose.

"Leftenan." (" **Lieutenant.** ") They stayed like that until Tarung was done with the rebels, and he dragged the man away by his collar.

"Kapten! Siapa budak dua orang tu? Saya tak pernah nampak pun mereka sebelum ni." (" **Captain~ Who are those two kids? Didn't notice them before.** ")

"Kau tak perlu tahu siapa mereka. Aku dah menyampah tengok muka kau, Blanc. Menjual maklumat rahsia TAPOPS kepada pemberontak adalah kesalahan berat. Kalini kau mungkin akan dipenjara." (" **Resident children in the Nunya department. I'm getting really sick of seeing your face, Blanc. Selling TAPOPS high confidential secrets to rebels is a punishable offense. Maybe you'll get a taste of what prison feels like.** ")

"Eh??? Saya taknak masuk penjara!!!" (" **What?! I don't wanna!!!** ")

Tarung only shrugs in reply. Mega watched her superior herd the gang of rebels, eyes straight forward. Ignoring the tremor on Lydeia's hands. Fang leaning into her chest, biting his lip. The scent of fear, acrid and vile in the air.

"Kamu berdua lapar? Masa makan tengahari dah masuk." (" **Are you two hungry? I think it's almost lunchtime.** ") Two pairs of doe eyes blinked up at Mega, and she fought the urge to melt at the endearing image.  _ No! Must! Keep vigilance! _

Fang saved their game, and pocketed the DS. "Kakak lapar tak? Jom makan makaroni keju!" (" **You hungry, Lydeia? Let's have mac and cheese!** ")

"Keju?" (" **Cheese?** ") She picked the boy up, and smiled at Mega. "Terima kasih kerana mengingatkan kami tentang masa makan, leftenan." (" **Thanks for the lunch reminder, lieutenant.** ")

_ Terima kasih kerana melindungi kami. (Thank you for protecting us.) _

"Panggil saja saya Mega, Lydeia. Jom, saya bawa kamu berdua ke kafeteria." (" **Mega is fine. Come, I'll escort you to the cafeteria.** ")

Mega understood her fine, even with her real words went unsaid. She let the edge of her lips twitch, as the bickered back and forth on the topic of pasta sauces.

"Dan, lain kali, Lydeia--" (" **Oh,and another thing, Lydeia--** ") Mega stopped her from chasing after Fang who dashed into the empty mess hall, "--jangan serbu masuk medan pertempuran. Kami tak dapat jamin kamu akan selamat." (" **\--a reminder for next time, please do not barge into a battle. We can't guarantee your safety.** ")

Something flickered in her ever glowing iridescent eyes, and she nodded.

" _ Thank you. _ " This must be R's influence. With a final pat on her shoulder, Mega let the girl go.

* * *

At first, none of the admirals know where to put Lydeia. She is clearly not from this era, with her glowing hair and irises, walking barefoot on the metal floor and treading almost with no sound at all. Even Mega would occasionally have her heart jump up to her throat from the tiny girl suddenly appearing out of nowhere.

Then Bolt’s planet had a coup d'etat and his family was separated, him only being able to retrieve Nut in the chaos. When he brought the boy over to the headquarters, Lydeia took one look at the small boy hiding behind the mechanic’s trousers and smiled at him.

Nut, being the child that he is, was mesmerized by the glowing hair atop Lydeia’s head, and waddled over to her.

They became best friends on the very same day.

Bolt was lamenting over the fact his baby brother can’t stop talking about Lydeia. It took a week for the news to reach her, and Lydeia apologises for “menjadi topik bualan Nut sepanjang masa bersama keluarga kamu” (“being the main topic of you two’s family time”).

Everyone started calling her TAPOPS’ glorified babysitter. Lydeia deafen her ears on those baseless rumours.

When one day, she walked in on two cadets cornering Nut and Fang into a wall. The two children, shaking like a leaf, face pale with fear.

She sees red.

* * *

“Dinding tu ada lekuk,” (" **It has dents, the wall,** ")Bolt muttered next to him. The captain sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Aku tau, Bolt. Dinding to berlekuk, dan Lydeia dah mengaku--” (" **I know, Bolt. The wall has a dent on it , and Lydeia has claimed it to be her--** ")

“K-Kau tak faham. Dinding ni… dinding ni lekuk.” (" **No… No sir, you don't understand. It has ** ** _dents_ ** **, the wall has ** ** _dents._ ** ")

‘Ai, dia ni, aku luku kepala berambut Predator dia tu nanti--’ ('I'mma give this punk a piece of my mind--')

“Bolt yang cipta bahan untuk dinding ni. Tiada bahan lain yang lebih kuat dari bahan ni. Takde apa yang boleh rosakkan dinding ni. Tapi, dia…” (" **This material… Bolt is the one that created the walls' material. Nothing could even leave a scratch on it. Nothing. But the girl…** ")  _ Oh.  _ Tarung and Bolt turned to gape at the causation of the huge dent on the wall.

One hand supporting and hugging the two boys wailing into her hair, Lydeia was patting their backs with her other hand while she gave her statement to the incident that happened just a few minutes prior.

A few feet from her, lay two cadets that were thrown to the wall by Lydeia. They were knocked out and currently lying unconscious, but that still didn't stop the girl from glancing at them from time to time. As if… she was anticipating another attack.

When the Mop-Mop alien had finished taking her statement, they followed after the paramedics wheeling the two cadets to the med bay. Tarung and Bolt walked over to Lydeia. "Aku… tak tau nak cakap apa, Lydeia." (" **I have no words, Lydeia.** ")

"Saya takkan biarkan sesiapa mengapa-apakan orang yang saya sayangi," (" **No hands shall harm those that is important to me,** ") was her curt reply. Fang looked up from her hair and nuzzled her cheek, which the gesture was returned eagerly with a smile.

Lydeia then turned to the captain and her iridescent eyes flickered. “Jikalau perbuatanku ini mengundang padah kepada aku, aku rela terima apa sahaja hukuman. Tetapi, kanak-kanak berdua ini jangan kau sentuh, Tarung.” (" **Let me face my punishment if this action of mine deserves one. But you are not to harm these kids, Tarung.** ")

_ Sejak bila main panggil nama ni? _ ( _ Since when we've gone to calling each other with first names? _ ) Her Mama Bear mode is scary. The captain wisely reminds himself not to mess around the children to provoke Lydeia, despite his years of experience in combat.

Lydeia has an armada of power spheres and the Aurelian blood flowing through her. Never fuck with an Aurelian. They didn’t collaborate with the power sphere to create the generations and generations of power spheres for nothing.

“Aku takkan ganggu Fang dan Nut,” (" **I won't touch Fang and Nut,** ") Tarung said, which immensely relaxes the tension around Lydeia’s shoulders, “tetapi aku tak mampu katakan yang sama terhadap kau.” (" **but I do not guarantee for you, though.** ")

He smiled at the hiccuping Nut and Fang, gently patting their heads. “Fang, Nut, boleh pergi dekat Abang Bolt kejap tak? Kapten ada hal nak bincang dengan Kakak Lydeia kamu ni.” (" **Fang, Nut, can you do me a favor and hang around Bolt for a bit? I have some adult stuff to discuss with Lydeia.** ")

“Kakak… takkan kena marah, kan?” (" **Lydeia won't… she won't get scolded, right?** ") Fang tightened his clutch on Lydeia’s shoulder, and Tarung’s chest ached at the small gesture.

Nut has resorted to his muted signs, which only Bolt and Lydeia understand. He’s having a dissociative episode again, the after-effects from the coup d'etat. His brother sighed after he finished signing.

“Kamu boleh tidur dengan Kakak Lydeia malam ni. Abang Bolt benarkan. Sekarang ni,” (" **Yes, I'll allow a sleepover with Lydeia tonight. Now,** ") he opened his arms, and the children looked up glumly at Lydeia, “jom?” (" **come on?** ")

She passes them over to Bolt, in which the two mildly protest. She gave each of them pats on their heads and nodded at Bolt. "Jagakan mereka untuk saya." (" **It's your turn. Good luck.** ")

"Fang ni sebaya dengn adik aku, jadi aku tak kisah." (" **Meh. It's like holding a bunch of grapes. Sad grapes, but not much difference.** ") The mechanic winked.

Maybe they have three minutes, if they’re lucky.

“Macam ni, Lydeia, kau dah cederakan kadet TAPOPS. Dimana kau hanyalah seorang tahanan lanun angkasa. Aku tak jamin kau akan terlepas dari pertuduhan kes ni, kalau kadet berdua tu nak bukak kes.” (" **Here's the thing, Lydeia. You've injured a couple of TAPOPS cadets. Which your position right now is a pirate hostage. If they decided to open a case, I don't think you can dodge this bullet.** ")

Lydeia crossed her arms, a flutter of STARDAS pulling her hair back from her face. “Saya dah kata, saya tak kisah kalau saya dikenakan penalti atas perbuatan saya. Tetapi mereka juga harus didenda kerana melakukan provokasi terhadap insan tak bersalah." (" **And I have stated that any punishment for my self defense, I will accept them. But they too need to be punished for provoking the children.** ")

"Kamu boleh mengambil rakaman dari kamera di laluan ini. Saya langsung tak menyentuh mereka berdua," (" **You can find the surveillance video from the end of the corridor. I have not laid a finger on them,** ") she snapped her fingers, and a swarm of STARDAS floated over to her palm before blinking rhythmically into a flashmob of holograms, "sehingga mereka cuba menarik Fang dari dakapan saya." (" **Only until one of them has attempted to wrench Fang from my arms.** ")

Crossing her arms over her chest, Lydeia huffed. "Mereka hanya menunggu masa sebelum aku kerjakan mereka." (" **They're literally waiting for it.** ")

_ Blink!  _ A lightbulb went on inside Tarung's head.

"Lydeia, kau--" This is a nutjob, but what if… "Kau pernah berlawan?" (" **Lydeia… Have you been in a fight before?** ")

"Apa maksud kamu, dengan berlawan?" (" **Fight, as in what?** ") She tilted her head in confusion, and Tarung really tried his damned best to get rid of the image of the honorary babysitter in a battle suit against hordes of incoming enemies.

The huge fucking dent tore down on his good intentions.

"Aku akan cuba berbincang dengan laksamana-laksamana yang ada, tentang apa yang aku perlu lakukan untuk hukuman kau." (" **We will discuss this matter with the admirals. They'll decide your punishment.** ") The captain sighed. He placed a hand on the girl's head, and ruffled her hair until it befitting to become a nest on top of her head.

"T-Tarung!" He let out a belly laugh.

_Dia tak suap pun, aku yang terlebih makan._ _(She hadn't done anything, but I'm the one overreacting._) "Jangan mengharap sangat. Kau bernasib baik, Laksamana Maskmana serahkan kes kau kepada aku. Dah la aku ni baik hati, pemurah pulak tu--" ("**No putting high hopes on this. Admural Maskmana has assigned me this case, you're lucky that I'm such a gentleman--**")

"Dan sampai ke sudah tak reti nak jaga diri sendiri." (" **That still managed to drive his bodily system into a drain every day.** ") Mega popped up behind the small girl, and both of them jumped. Even the STARDAS didn't catch her situating herself into the convo.

"Helo, Mega."

She gave a curt nod to her captain, and a gentle smile to the girl. "Helo, Lydeia. Saya rasa Nut dan Fang dah mulai gelisah dengan kehilangan awak. Saya akan ambil alih dari sini, awak boleh balik ke bilik awak sekarang." (" **Hello Lydeia. You can catch up with Bolt for Nut and Fang. They're quite restless now that you've been gone for too long. I'll settle everything here.** ")

The glow she emanates flickered, two blips indicating a surprise. "Saya tak mahu menyusahkan aw--" (" **I do not wish to trouble you--** ")

"Tak apa. Saya ada masa lapang sekarang, lagipun kapten belum makan tengahari lagi." (" **Go. I'm currently free, and I need to drag my captain to lunch after this.** ") Tarung sputtered and frantically patted his pockets for something that wasn't there.

With a shy giggle, Lydeia bowed and skipped towards the exasperated brother. Who then let the two kids hop over to her arms and led the way to his workshop. Maybe an hour or two of tinkering can help with their nerves.

Mega watched them off with a smile. "Saya tahu apa yang kapten fikirkan. Jangan." (" **I see that glint in your eyes. No, captain.** ")

"Kau merapu apa ni Mega?" (" **What nonsense are you spouting?** ") Tarung still had the smile plastered on his face. "Aku tak fikirkan apa-apa pun. Jangan nak mengarut." (" **I haven't got any schemes for anyone.** ")

When they turned down the corner, Mega hurried down the corridor and ordered some worker to bar the area off-limits. "Kapten kena ingat, Lydeia masih seorang kanak-kanak. Jangan libatkan kanak-kanak dalam peperangan yang tiada penghujungnya." (" **Whatever you're planning, please keep in mind that Lydeia is still a child. And a place for a child is not on the battlefield.** ")

The captain was at a loss for words. He didn't realise he was gaping at his lieutenant until she turned to him and frowned.

"Jangan musnahkan zaman kanak-kanak dia yang langsung tiada memori indah. Tolong, Kapten…" (" **She haven't got a childhood. Please, captain…** ")

One of the workers shouted for her, and Mega gave them an affirmative nod.

"Jangan ulang tragedi yang sama menimpa saya, kepada Lydeia." (" **Don't turn Lydeia into another me.** ")

* * *

The video pauses at a frame, showing a small girl with flowing waterfalls of hair holding two children in her arms. Bright lights surround her and her assailants as she pin them to the wall after jumping away from them. "Aku rasa kita sudah banyak kali menonton klip video ini." (" **I think we've seen this clip enough** .")

"Aku setuju jika kita jadikan dia seorang kadet. Kaum Aurelia boleh menjadi aset berharga untuk kita." (" **I am in favor of making her a cadet. Aurelian may be a valuable asset for our troop.** ")

"Kuasanya… Dia perlukan latihan,tapi jika kita boleh menggunakan tenaganya…" (" **The power she wields… It needs to be refined, but if we are able to harness that energy…** ")

A man in red mecha suit glanced at the other admirals in the conference. With his anxiety barely masked, he spoke over the murmur of the crowd.

" Serahkan gadis itu kepadaku. Akan aku curahkan segala ilmu yang aku ada kepada dia." (" **Give her to me. I will bring the best out of the Aurelian girl** .")

"Manusia? Dari Bumi?" (" **A human? From Earth?** ") One from a 'more dignified alien race' scoffs. "Apa yang kau boleh ajarkan kepada dia? Tipu helah kau dalam memperdaya sfera kuasa?" (" **What can you teach the girl? Your manipulating lies in tricking power spheres to do your bidding?** ")

From the corner of his eye, the human watched as a cuboidal shape skittered past the admirals. He kept his face blase. "Sejak bila aku perlu menerangkan apa yang aku lakukan kepada kau? Aku dengan hal aku, kau dengan hal kau." (" **Excuse me, do explain since when do I answer your biddings. Keep to yourself, maybe that will do some good for you.** ")

The atmosphere for the meeting turned sour, and the human deems that it's necessary to cut it short. "Kepada mereka yang tidak bersetuju akan idea aku untuk menjadi mentor kepada gadis itu, bantah dengan alasan yang kukuh. Atau kekal dengan pendirian kau." (" **For those who think they have a better idea, do speak up. Or forever keep your silence.** ")

They can't. He's the Power Sphere Whisperer. They trust him, the first living form to be given the trust of the legendary power spheres. And it is to a measly human.

How can the other intergalactic species not be offended?

But they need his credibility. And he made a vow years ago, one that his principle would not allow him to cross.

The shape zipped away from his sight, and he straightened his back. "Aku akan ke stesen TAPOPS pada esok hari untuk berjumpa dengan gadis itu. Ada sebarang larangan yang kau nak beritahu aku, Maskmana?" (" **I will make my journey to the TAPOPS station tomorrow to meet the girl. Anything to add, Maskmana?** ")

The man with his ominous mask steepled his fingers together. "Tiada, Amato. Semoga perjalanan kau tenang dan selamat." (" **None. I bid your journey fare well.** ")

One by one, the hologram flickers out of view when the last one, the alien that taunts Amato on his skills, glitches before showing a series of screenshot images.

Amato whistled, before tapping a button on the keyboard in front of him. "Padu kerja kau, HackerBot. Cayalah!" (" **That's a solid job over there, HackerBot. Color me impressed.** ")

The cuboidal power sphere hissed, crossing their arms. "Alien kutuk Amato. Jangan kutuk Amato." (" **Alien mocks Amato. No one mocks Amato.** ")

"Thanks, buddy." With a satisfied huff, the power sphere wanders off after fist-bumping the man. He kept the images of the alien's illegal trading in a secret file, and opened the folder of the Aurelian girl's information.

Amato didn't know why he did it. He barely knew about the Aurelian race, the records on their history were gone along with their planet, except for several tomes on other planets. The girl looked like she can flick him into a wall and be done with him in a breath.

"Apa yang aku buat ni, MechaBot?" (" **What am I doing, MechaBot?** ") The man groaned into his hands.

The face on his chest rolled his eyes. "Kau memang sentiasa buat semua perkara melulu. Aku pun naik marah dengan perangai kau yang satu ni. Tapi aku dapat rasakan keputusan kau kali ni adalah tepat." (" **You always did something without thinking. Even I got mad at that bad habit of yours sometimes. But I got a feeling, you have done the right decision this time.** ")

  
"Kalau macam tu…" (" **If that is so…** ") He pushed the button on his desk to power off the computer, and bade goodbye to the power spheres in his office. "Aku akan teruskan pembacaan aku malam ni. Isteri aku masak lauk kegemaran aku malam ni~" (" **I will continue with the reading tonight. Can't miss my wife's delicious cooking~"** )


	9. Lylie and 'ka

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There he is, her only link to her life before it all was lost.
> 
> But he belongs to someone else now.

"Amato, terima kasih kerana sudi datang--" (**“Amato, thanks for coming—“**) Tarung greeted the human at the hangar and they hurried inside the station.

"Dah memang kerja aku, Tarung. Kau jemput aku, maknanya kau tahu tujuan aku ke sini?" (**“It’s my duty, Traung. You’re the one greeting me, so that means you know of my intentions coming?”**) They made a sharp turn and walked briskly into an elevator. The captain punched the button five and waited as they ascended the levels.

"Ya. Laksamana Maskmana dah terangkan pada aku. Tapi pembantu aku, Leftenan--" (**“Yes. Admiral Maskmana has briefed me on it. My assistant, in the other hand, Lieutenant—“**)

The elevator dinged. Mega stepped in.

"Mega! Dah lama tak jumpa!" (**“Mega! It’s been a while!”**) Amato grinned at the red-skinned alien. With a quizzical glance to the human, she nods.

"Kita tak bekerja di bawah sektor yang sama, Amato. Memang susah nak jumpa. Apa urusan kau ke stesen utama TAPOPS ni?" (**“We do not work under the same sector, Amato. Out-of-work meetings would be hard. What brings you to TAPOPS main headquarters?”**)

Amato shrugged, crossing his arms over his chest. "Ada beberapa misi yang aku perlu dapatkan hardcopy dari sini. Sebab tu aku datang. Lepas tu adalah sikit-sikit lagi hal yang aku kena uruskan." (**“I have a few hardcopies to grab from the archive. That’s why. Then a few odd jobs here and there.”**)

The elevator dinged at the third level, and Mega stepped out. The man snapped his fingers, a smile on his face.

"Nak minum koko tak lepas ni dengan aku? Ada sikit aku bawak dari Bumi, tapi bukan Aba punya lah. Ruang Makan V, amacam?" (**“Wanna grab cocoa with me after this? I got my own stash from Earth, but not Aba’s cocoa. Eatery Hall V, how’s that?”**)

Mega smiled, although it looked pained. “Maaf, tapi aku mungkin terpaksa menolak pelawaan kau. Aku ada laporan yang aku kena siapkan dan hantar pada hari ni. Dan Ruang Makan V dah ditukar lokasinya. Mungkin kapten aku boleh tunjukkan?" (**“I have to decline, I’m sorry. Currently, I have a report to be submitted today. And Eatery Hall V has been changed to a new location. Perhaps my captain can show you the way?”**)

The human turned around, as if finally noticing the 6'2'' hulking figure standing behind them all the time in the elevator, and pursed his lips.

"Okay lah kalau macam tu. Nanti waktu dia aku rojer kalau kau still nak join. Alrite, ciao~" (**“If that’s so, then it’s okay. I’ll send you the deets if you’re still up for the offer. A’aight, ciao~”**) The door slid close, and Amato whacked the captain in his shoulder. “Ni apa kes? Kau tak bagitau Mega, kenapa?" (**“Now what’s going on here? Why is Mega out of the loop?”**)

“Dia awal-awal dah larang aku. Masalahnya sekarang ni, aku tak boleh nak buat apa sebab ni semua keputusan sidang Laksama. Kalau dia tau, masak kita Amato.” (**“She forbids me from the get-go. The problem is, I have no say in this cuz it’s the decision from the Admiral Conference. If she winds up knowing about it, Amato, we’re doomed.”**) The human sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Masalah, masalah. Kita tak boleh bagitau Mega, itu je.” (**“Problem everywhere. Mega must never know, period.”**) Tarung nodded. “Budak tu? Dia tau tak?” (**“What about the kid? Did she know?”**) The door opened and the two walked towards the room at the end of the hall.

Tarung shook his head. “Dia tau perbuatan dia haritu akan ada hukuman. Dan dia sendiri cakap dia tak kisah apa yang jadi pada dia, asalkan kita tak kacau anak-anak Gabenor Gogobugi tu. Dan kawan dia, adik kepada mekanik TAPOPS, Bolt.” (**“She knows her actions the other day will have consequences. And she told me she will accept any punishment, as long as the Gogobugi’s governor youngest son is not touched. And his friend, Bolt’s younger brother.”**)

“Bolt ada adik?” (**“Bolt has a younger brother?”**) MechaBot glanced at the admiral, and the striped alien almost shit his pants. He forgot sometimes, that the power sphere is still sentient after mechanizing.

“Oi, alien. Jawab soalan aku.” (**“Oi alien. Answer my question.”**) He grunted. Amato’s jaw fell open in shock, and he knocked his chest, right where MechaBot’s forehead is. The power sphere hissed in pain.

“Aku makan semua karipap kau kang. Cakap molek sikit dengan Tarung. Ish, kau ni. Bolt kan professional, takkan dia nak share semua benda dengan semua orang. Kenapa dia bawak adik dia ke TAPOPS, Tarung?” (**“I will eat all of your currypuffs. Have some respect for Tarung. Tch, what are you thinking. Bolt is a professional, he wouldn’t share about his personal lives with everyone. Why did he bring his brother here, Tarung?”**)

“Planet dia ada peperangan. Bolt hanya sempat selamatkan Nut dari menjadi tahanan perang. Sekarang ni, planet dia masih dalam perang. Mungkin akan ambil masa untuk aman semula.” (**“His planet was in a war. Bolt managed to grab Nut before his family was taken as war hostages. The war still wages, even now as we speak. It might take a while until things calm down.”**)

Amato hummed, and they walked into the room. His step faltered when he first lay his eyes on the two children.

“Kenapa diorang sama umur dengan Boboiboy?!” (**“Why are they the same age as Boboiboy?!”**)

* * *

They flinched when an unknown voice shouted something behind them. Nut closed the encyclopedia with a grunt, and they both jumped off the bed. “Cepat!” (**“Quick!”**) Fang whispered, tugging at his hand. “Kita kena cari Kak Lydeia!” (**“We have to find Lydeia!”**)

“Adik—Kejap—“ (**“Boys—wait—“**) They exited the room from a secret escape route (which Lydeia and Bolt discovered and fixed) and dashed towards Bolt’s workshop. Fang bumped into a cadet, and he didn’t even look back before running again.

“Oi, budak—“ (**“Oi, kid—“**) He was silenced by Admiral Tarung and a human in red armor chasing after the two children.

They were explicitly instructed by Lydeia and Bolt to find them if anyone were to pick fights with them. After the case where Lydeia reciprocrated with the two insolent cadets (her words), she has earned herself a reputation between the cadets. And she’s planning to utilize it to its fullest.

Lydeia had the feeling that she won’t be around to protect the two children that much anymore.

As if she heard their pleas, Lydeia stepped out of the workshop, and saw Nut and Fang running towards her. Their face white with fear. Almost instantly, they were lifted off the ground by a STARDAS cloud and into her arms. “Kamu berdua, kenapa? Ada yang mengganggu kamu ke?” (**“You two, what is wrong? Is there another hooligan troubling you?”**)

Fang was the first one to respond, after they catch up with their breaths. “Kakak! Tadi—ada lelaki robot merah—dia menjerit belakang kitorang—“ (**“Lydeia! There’s—a red robot man—he screamed behind us—“**)

“Mana ada saya menjerit.” (**“I didn’t scream.”**)

Lydeia held her stance when the two men stopped in front of her. She eyed the strange man, with his bearded face and tufts of white hair between dark waves. Tarung was panting next to him, hands on his knees and gasping to catch his breaths. He pointed to himself.

“Aku menjerit ke tadi, Tarung? Aku tak perasan pulak.” (**“Did I screamed just now, Tarung? I didn’t notice that I did.”**)

“Kau… bukan sedar diri sangat… Kau kejar budak-budak tu… Diroang dahla selalu… kena buli…” (**“You… had zero self consciousness… You chased after those kids… They’re prime targets… for bullies…”**) Who would this man be—

“Lylie? Oi, Lylie, tu kau ke?!” (**“Lylie? OI, that you, Lylie?!”**)

“’ka?” The two of them gasped when their eyes met, and both MechaBot and Lydeia scurried forward. They both squealed when they’re in each other’s face, hopping like rabbits that had been given marijuana.

Amato was glancing at his captain friend, but even Tarung had no idea how to handle the situation. “Dah besar dah kau, Lylie. Panjang gila rambut! Rindu dowh nak lepak dengan kau!” (**“You’ve grown so big, Lylie. Your hair is so long! I missed hanging out with you!”**)

“Aku pun sama, ‘ka. Dah lama kita tak berjumpa. Adakah kau sihat? Kau cakap kau dah muak bekerjasama dengan sesiapa. Ini,” (**“Me too, ‘ka. It’s been years since we’ve met each other. Are you doing fine? You once told me that you would stop partnering with anyone. This human,”**) she glanced up at the human, tilting her head in curiosity. “Siapakah gerangan dia ini? Rakan baru kau?” (**“Who would he be? Your new partner?”**)

MechaBot grinned. “Inilah Amato, _the Armor Hero_. Aku pun tak ingat macam mana aku boleh terlekat dengan dia, dan setakat ni aku tak terfikir nak _kick_ dia lagi—“ (**“This is Amato, The Armor Hero. The first time I met him was kinda blurry, but I didn’t felt like kicking him as of yet—“**)

“Oi.”

“—tapi memang dia _partner_ aku sekarang. Betul cakap Rayyan, manusia sememangnya akan menjangkau semua jangkaan yang diletakkan atas bangsa mereka.” (**“—but he really is my partner now. Rayyan is right, humans will exceed the expectations put by others on them.”**) They both shared a solemn look, before Lydeia noticed the kids in her arms. She held their faces to her neck and backed away from the man. “Maaf, mereka takut akan kau. Apa hajat kau ke mari?” (**“I apologize, they seems to be scared of you. What business brings you here?”**)

Amato cleared his throat after the short get-together between Lydeia and MechaBot. He’s gonna have to probe the power sphere further on that. “Aku dah diberi tanggungjawab untuk melatih kau untuk menjadi seorang kadet di bawah TAPOPS.” (**“I have been bestowed with the responsibility of training you to be a cadet under TAPOPS.”**)

The two children in her arms turned to face the man, and Amato stared as four set of eyes blinked at him. The governor’s youngest son breaks the silence first.

“Pakcik… cakap apa ni?” (**“Uncle… what are you talking about?”**)

With a look from the girl’s glowing irises, Amato nodded and stepped back from them. She pecked the bespectacled boy’s forehead and nodded to the direction of Bolt’s workshop. “Kakak boleh jelaskan, Fang. Tapi perbincangan hal sebegini tidak sesuai dilakukan di tengah-tengah laluan orang lain. Mari kita masuk ke dalam bengkel Abang Bolt.” (**“I can explain, Fang. But it is not suitable to discuss this issue in the middle of a hallway. Let’s get inside Bolt’s workshop.”**)

The mechanic sidled up next to Tarung and Amato’s side, and shook hands with the human. “Lama tak nampak kau, Amato. Helo, MechaBot. Adik aku mesti seronok kalau dapat cakap dengan kau.” (**“Long time no see, Amato. Hello, MechaBot. My brother would be thrilled to finally meet you.”**)

“Nut? Amato dah takutkan dia, memang tak mendapat lah aku.” (**“Nut? Amato scared him off, I got no chance.”**) The power sphere grumbled, and the captain and mechanic chuckled. Bolt waved them over to a display table, and patted a duffel bag sitting on it. The colors were black and nondescript, which intrigues the three.

It’s the blandest scenery that holds the greatest secrets.

“Kapten Tarung, ni Sarung Tarung yang kapten hantar haritu. Saya dah baiki dan naiktaraf perisai dan ketahanan fabriknya, jadi dia akan tahan lebih lama. Mungkin kapten akan dapat kurang kesan lebam dari pertarungan. Taklah kena bebel banyak sangat dengan Leftenan Mega.” (**“Captain Tarung, this is the Sarung Tarung you’ve sent to me the other day. I have made some modificatiosn and upgrades on it and the fabric, so it will holds on longer. You might come out with less bruises post-fight. That will be lesser lectures from Lieutenant Mega.”**) Tarung took the bag, opened it a crack, and gave a nod before zipping it back. Amato was unsatisfied with his reaction.

“Takkanlah tu je? Tunjuk lah sikit apa naiktaraf yang kau dapat dari Bolt! Tambah kuku tajam ke, zip dah tukar jadi plastik ke, ada cicak kubin punya kostum pulak ke—“ (**“That’s it? Show us the upgrades! It could be claws addition, or from metal to plastic zipper, or a new animal—probably a gecko costume, or—“**)

“Cicak kubin tu apa? Haiwan eksotik ke?” (**“What’s a gecko? Is it an exotic animal?”**) Tarung raised an eyebrow, and both the human and his power sphere shook their heads.

“Takde apa-apa, aku cakap je—“ (**“Nothing, just some words—“**)

“Bukan haiwan eksotik, Tarung. Kau tak perlu tau—“ (**“Not an exotic animal, Tarung. You won’t need to know—“**)

A tug on the captain’s pants saved the two sweating idiots. MechaBot turned off the internal fan inside Amato’s armor on purpose. He’s going to start sweating like he’s in sauna soon. Serves him right.

Nut was the one tugging his pants. His other hand was clasped with Fang’s, and it was clear that both of them had been crying. Their eyes were red. But Nut was resilient.

“K-Kalau kak Lydeia jadi kadet… Dia boleh main dengan kami lagi ke? Dia kena…” (**“I-If Lydeia becomes a cadet… Can she still play with us? Will she…”**) Fang choked back a sob. His hand squuezed Nut’s, and the boy crinkled his nose to stop himself from crying.

“Dia kena tinggalkan stesen ni… dia akan kena selesaikan misi…” (**“She will leave the station… she will have missions to finish…”**)

“Kak Lydeia akan tinggalkan kami ke?” (**“Will Lydeia leave us?”**)

“Fang, Nut.” The captain crouched and opened in his arms, where the two boys plopped right into his chest and wailed. Amato glanced at the girl sitting a couple of tables away. She was wringing a strand of her hair between her fingers, creating and uncoiling a loop over and over again.

Amato puts a hand on his chest, and muttered “unmechanise.” He then walked over to the girl and sat next to her, MechaBot hovering to her right.

“Aku sayang mereka. Di Aurelia, hanya abang yang mengakui kewujudanku. Bagi yang lain, kelainanku merupakan suatu sumpahan. Sfera kuasa juga sangat baik kepadaku, namun aku tahu sebahagian mereka cuma bergantung kepada energi yang dilepaskan aku.” (**“I love them. My brother is the only one who accepts me on Aurelia. To others, my ability is a curse. Power spheres are on a good terms with me, but I know some of them are depending on the energy I releases.”**)

“Jangan cakap macam tu.” (**“Don’t say that.”**) MechaBot took one of her hands, staring at her with kind, understanding eyes. “Aku ikhlas berkawan dengan kau. Semua sfera kuasa ikhlas berkawan dengan kau dan abang kau, Lydeia. Kamu berdua adalah antara alien yang tak cuba untuk mengeksploitasi kami.” (**“I love being friends with you. The others, their friendship with your brother and you are genuine, Lydeia. You two are some of those rare people who haven’t think of taking advantage of us.”**)

“Bila aku tau yang kau diculik semasa peperangan tu, aku jadi gelisah. Disebabkan aku masih dalam arahan dari KlamkaBot untuk menyorok dari sebarang percubaan untuk mendapatkan aku, aku tak boleh cuba untuk mencari kau. Maafkan aku kerana kau terseksa berjauhan dari abang kau, Lydeia.” (**“When I knew about your abduction during the war, I was distraught. Klamkabot has made it clear that I am to hide from anyone and every attempt of searching to attain myself, that I cannot search for you. For you to be separated from your brother, I apologize Lydeia.”**)

The girl smiled, her eyes still riveted on her hair. “Bila namaku disebut penuh oleh kau, ‘ka, kedengaran aneh di telingaku. Pangil lah namaku dengan nama timanganku, ‘ka.” (**“When my full name is called by you, it sounds weird. Please call me by my nickname, ‘ka.”**)

MechaBot rolled his eyes, but relents. “_Lylie~!_”

She grinned at him, and they both giggled. After it has subsided, she glanced at the two children. Nut had conked out on Fang’s shoulder, both of them tucked in Tarung’s arms. Both he and Bolt were trying to transfer the two children to a hammock strung in a corner of the workshop.

“Mereka masih kanak-kanak. Terlalu muda untuk memahami soal dunia yang semestinya tak saksama keatas sesiapa. Mungkin dengan masa yang mencukupi, mereka akan faham tujuanku memilih pilihan ini.” (**“Both of them are still children. Too young to understand the cruelty of the world. Maybe with time, they will understand my choice right now.”**)

Amato frowned. “Tarung bagitau aku yang kau tak tau kau akan dijadikan kadet selepas insiden tu.” (**“Tarung told me you are not notified of you becoming a cadet after the incident.”**)

“Dia tak mengetahui, aku juga seorang yang peka akan segala perkara. Aku harap,” (**“What did he didn’t know, is that I am also attentive. I hope,”**) she extended a hand towards the man, a faint smile on her lips. “Kita dapat bekerjasama tanpa sebarang masalah, Amato. _The Armor Hero._”(**“This is going to be a start of a smooth anquaintance, Amato. The Armor Hero.”**)

He still had his doubts. Torn between amazement and human rights. But he still shook her hand, jolting subtly at the sting from a random electric current and warmth from her soft plam.

“Aku pun berharap macam tu, Aurelia Lydeia.” (**“So am I, Aurelia Lydeia.”**)


End file.
